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BASEBALL
INTERSTATE
Shadow Ridge (Nevada) 14, Twin Falls 3 (@ Las Vegas Tourney, Las Vegas)
4A
Minico 5, Jerome 4
JEROME — Spartans sophomore Braxon Trenkle has a simple approach when he takes the mound.
“I don’t really think when I’m up there,” Trenkle told the Times-News. “I’m clearheaded, that’s all I really think about. I know my job is to go up there and throw strikes, so that’s what I try to do.”
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That approach didn’t change even as he worked out of two jams in the sixth and seventh inning against the Tigers. Trenkle entered the game with Minico (6-4 overall, 2-0 Great Basin Conference) ahead 5-3 entering the bottom of the sixth.
Tigers senior Trey Burk hit a two-out single to cut the lead to 5-4, and Jerome (3-4 overall, 0-1 Great Basin Conference) had runners on first and third. Trenkle got Tucker Volkers to fly out to end the inning.
The seventh was trickier. Wesley Prestwich led off with a single, then Lane Arellano reached on an error. A sacrifice bunt from Sawyer Tilley moved runners to second and third with one out. But Trenkle struck out the last two batters to seal the win.
“They’re doing a job of staying controlled and doing the things they need to do to pull out the win,” head coach Jared Price told the Times-News. “And that’s what happened today. We didn’t really crush the ball. The wind was blowing hard in. It was tough elements for everybody today but we did a good job.”
Tilley’s RBI groundout put Jerome on the board in the bottom of the first, and Minico tied the game on an RBI single from Jayden McKenzie in the top of the fourth. Paxton Twiss put the Spartans on top in the top of the fifth with an RBI single to left, and the Spartans added two more in the inning on a sacrifice fly from Logan Mabey and an RBI groundout from Cayden Fletcher.
A two-out single from Lane Arellano in the bottom of the fifth cut Minico’s lead to 4-3, but the Spartans got a big insurance run in the top of the sixth when Jayden Dominguez scored on a wild pitch.
Twiss went 2-for-4 with an RBI and scored two runs, and Spencer Pease, Owen Pavkov and McKenzie all went 2-for-4. Jase Murphy earned the win, allowing three runs (one earned), six hits while striking out five in five innings pitched. Arellano went 3-for-3 with two RBIs to lead Jerome, while Prestwich went 2-for-4 and Volkers scored two runs.
Minico has been competitive in every game so far this season, including a tough nonconference schedule against three 5A schools and two 4A state tournament qualifiers from 2023 in Bishop Kelly and Bonneville. That experience helped in another tight game Thursday.
“I think it helps us in these close games like this,” Price said. “And the kids to be able to stay composed and handle adversity and I think that’s been huge for us.”
The two teams will meet again at Minico on Friday at 6 p.m.
2A
Wendell 9, Marsing 3
Wendell’s Julian Ponce drove in two runs on a 3-for-4 performance as he led the Trojans to their sixth win in the past seven games.
Wendell jumped to a 3-0 lead after one. Ponce’s double scored Dylan Arnold and Cooper Jones then Jaxon Mattix scored Ponce on a fly ball.
Ponce allowed four walks and a hit but struck out five in four innings pitched.
Gunnar Jones struck out four with three earned runs and six hits in three innings pitched.
Deegan Prince scored Connell on a fourth-inning groundout. Lucas McRoberts and Julian Ponce scored off an error in the fifth inning then Mattix scored on a dropped third strike in the same inning.
The Trojans wrapped up their scoring in the sixth when McRoberts scored Prince on a sacrifice fly then Ponce drove in Alex Hirai on a single.
Wendell (6-1 overall) will host Malad at 5 p.m. April 12.
SOFTBALL
Wendell 5, Marsing 0 (Game one)
Wendell’s Breanna Comstock struck out 16, allowing a hit and a walk in a complete game performance.
The Trojans built a 3-0 lead after three innings. Sophie Mattix scored Annabelle McRoberts on a single in the first inning then Mattix and Ainsley Clark scored on an error in the third.
Wendell added two more in the fifth when Clark scored on a passed ball then Nayeli Juarez drove in Comstock on a ground out.
Wendell 11, Marsing 1 (Six innings, game two)
Clark hit a solo home run while McRoberts and Elsie Moore led Wendell with two RBIs each. McRoberts and Tyree Sears collected two hits each. Clark, Comstock, Moore and Jenika Borges collected a hit each.
M Bird pitched a complete game as she walked two, allowed earned run and a hit with six strikeouts.
Wendell will host Declo at 4 and 6 p.m. Tuesday.