| An American Legion base runner flies for third during an earlier game vs. Highland. The Helper squad won against Murray 10-4. |
A five-run uprising in the bottom of the sixth inning carried Helper’s American Legion team to a 10-4 victory of Murray Friday night in what had been a closely competitive game to that point.
Holding a precarious 5-4 lead going into the home half of the sixth, Blake Mortensen ignited the winning rally by leading off with a single.
Aaron Sandoval was hit by a pitched ball to put base runners at first and second and J.D. Sherman followed with a double. Trevor Thompson then lined a triple to deep left-center and the scoring race was on. Before it was over Murray had to resort to two relief pitchers to put out the fire.
Sherman got the home team off on the right track with a solo homer in the first inning and consecutive singles by Brady Wilde, Kyler Edgehouse and Jordan Moynier added two more runs in the second frame. Single runs in the third and fourth innings added to the 5-4 edge Helper took into the sixth inning.
Emery High graduate Edgehouse pitched the entire game for Helper in a masterful performance on the mound. The right-hander only allowed six hits over the seven innings, striking out six and issuing seven walks. Murray put three runs on the board in the top of the sixth on three hits and a pair of base on balls.
This was the last home game of the season on Helper’s Gardner Field before a good crowd. The team now moves on to the state American Legion tournament starting Saturday, August 4, in Kearns.