The Class 5A state tournament gets underway May 11, and the Viewmont Vikings could be a threat to go a long way. 

Through the end of April, with four regular-season games to go, Viewmont was a perfect 10-0 in Region 5 and 16-3 overall. The Vikings have shown the ability to win close games and blow teams out early. Offensively, the Vikings haven’t had much trouble putting runs on the board. In the first 10 league games, Viewmont had at least 10 runs five times and at least eight runs eight times. The team’s 91 runs were second in Region 5. 

The Vikings closed out April with a trio of victories, two of which were close. On April 24, the Vikings defeated Bonneville 6-0, blanking an opponent for the third time. Four of the Vikings’ runs came in the first inning. Jack Owen had a big day on the mound, as the pitcher had five strikeouts and held the Lakers to just three hits. Boston Williams, Kade Marriot and Gehrig Lee had RBIs. 

On April 29, a down-to-the-wire game with Woods across saw the Vikings prevail 8-7. Viewmont looked to be in control heading into the sixth inning with a 7-2 lead. However, Woods Cross tied things up with a big five-run sixth inning. In the seventh, Viewmont held the Wildcats scoreless and got the winning win in the bottom of the inning. Jace Barber struck out a batter and got the victory on the mound. Cal Miller was huge, hitting a home run and driving in three more runs. Marriot had two RBIs on the day. 

The Vikings played on the final day of April, winning yet again. 

On April 30, the Vikings took down Woods Cross again, this time 11-8 on the road. Eight of the team’s runs came in the final two innings, with four runs in each of the sixth and seventh innings. Miller had an enormous outing in the important victory. The junior had six RBI and a home run. Elias Culley had three RBI.

Barring a collapse in the final four games, the Vikings will win Region 5. They were three games ahead of second-place Woods Cross heading into May. Viewmont hosts Roy May 8 for the final regular-season game. Viewmont had been on top of the Class 5A RPI rankings. The final rankings come out just before the playoffs start, May 10. 

Woods Cross

The Wildcats have been even more offensively potent than Viewmont but trail in the standings with a 7-3 mark as of April 30. Woods Cross was 11-10 as May began, with the team having four games left before the state tournament. 

Woods Cross had a stretch of five games in a row of at least 11 runs. This span, April 10–April 18, also saw the Wildcats also had 14 runs in an 11-run win over run and post 20 runs April 17 in a blanking of Bonneville. That game went only five innings, as the Wildcats produced 12 runs alone in the fourth inning.

Woods Cross ran into some tough games against league-leading Viewmont. In the two losses, the Wildcats held their own, giving the Vikings two of their closest games of the season. Wood Cross actually outhit Viewmont in the April 29 loss. In that setback, Gavin Shupe had three RBI. In the April 30 game, Beckham Stanger had six strikeouts in a losing cause. Meanwhile, Thomas Pattison and Alexander Holdstock each had doubles, and Pattison, Paxton Healy and Stetson Critchley had two RBIs.

Woods Cross’ final win of April was a close 5-3 victory over Box Elder, 5-3. Max Moffat had a triple and two RBI, while Kason Lythgoe and Stetson Critchley had doubles. 

The Wildcats finished the regular season with a pair of games with Bountiful May 6, 8. 

Bountiful 

May began with Bountiful sporting a 5-5 record in Region 5, 8-12 overall. The Redhawks were tied for fourth in the league standings. 

Bountiful’s final three games of April resulted in a 1-2 stretch for the team. Bountiful fell at Clearfield 4-0 on April 24. All four of Clearfield’s runs came in the sixth inning. Bountiful struggled at the plate, getting just two hits. However, the Redhawks rebounded on April 29 with a 6-1 win at Bonneville. Jackson Kyhl got the win on the mound and sent away 10 Bonneville batters. Jefferson Duryea had a double, while Tavis Danner had two RBIs. 

Bonneville got revenge two days later, taking down the Redhawks 7-4. In a losing effort, Krew Nelson had a double, and Danner had two RBIs. 

Danner has had a strong season, hitting three home runs and three doubles, while driving in 16 RBIs. Kyhl has been excellent both at the plate and on the mound. The junior has hit three home runs, a triple and a double. He also drove in 12 runs and had 61 strikeouts through April. Krew Nelson also had three home runs, five doubles and 18 RBIs. 

The Redhawks finished up the regular season with two games with Woods Cross, in preparation for the 5A state tournament. Last season, Bountiful lost in the opening round, the regional series, two games to one against Uintah. The Redhawks will learn of their playoff seeding on May 10 when the RPI rankings come out. Higher-seeded teams get home-field advantage in the opening round and the next round, the super regionals.