Photos Courtesy of the One and Only Jeff Barrett.
Riding an 8-3 record heading into the weekend’s three games, the Helper American Legion Merchants won just one of the three matchups at home.
St. George came to town on Friday night. Helper managed just one hit in the 15-1 defeat, going just five innings. St. George scored 14 of its runs in the first three innings. Helper scored its lone run in the bottom of the fifth on a passed ball after JP Powell walked to begin the inning. Nate Olson singled in the second inning for the Merchants’ only hit. Triton Abeyta was tagged with 10 earned in just 1 2/3 innings for the loss.
Against Skyridge in Helper’s first game on Saturday, Cody Lowe hit two home runs and drove in five runs in the Merchants’ 18-12 loss. Early runs (13 in the first three innings) by Skyridge forced Helper into another early hole. Down 11-1 heading into the third, Lowe hit a two-run shot to center, scoring Powell. Lowe homered again in fourth, a three-run shot, to center with two outs. Helper added four more runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth to round out the scoring. Lowe also took the loss on the mound, allowing 14 runs, just eight earned, in 2 1/3 innings. Powell went 2-2 in the game with a triple and a single with two RBIs. Olson went 2-3 in the game with a triple and single as well.
Looking to salvage the weekend with a win in the nightcap against Skyline, Braxton Bennett turned in a solid performance on the mound for the win, allowing no earned runs, two total, in six innings pitched. Helper won the game 6-2. Down 2-0, the Merchants scored three runs in the bottom half of the second inning on four straight hits by Jayden Flemett, Jadon Robertson, Nick Olson and Zac Bradley to take the lead they would never relinquish. Flemett, Robertson and Olson then went back-to-back-to-back with doubles in the third to round out the scoring in the game for Helper.
The Merchants, 9-5, will have the 4th of July week off before hosting Roosevelt on July 10.
