Barlow baseball bounces back with 13-5 win over Sandy

Barlow baseball bounced back from adversity — not just during a difficult inning on a tough road trip, but also by staving off a possible sweep from a conference rival.

At No. 7 Sandy (15-4, 6-2 League), who had shut out the visiting Bruins in the first two meetings that week, Barlow could have let a home run counterpunch derail its upset bid. Pioneers junior catcher Johnathin Silvis went yard deep middle in the 3rd inning, spurring teammates junior Kobe Sparks and junior Max Green to bat in their own runners to make it 3-2.

But instead the Bruins rallied with some electric, and smart, batting of their own. The highlight, and nail-in-the-coffin for Sandy, came in the 5th inning. Barlow freshman phenom Amari Reynolds smashed a double with the bases loaded, scoring all three of his teammates and making it 9-3.

A subsequent double by Bruins senior catcher Ransom Lorenzen and single by junior River Hamilton, who twice stole home to score runs, scored two more runs and set up the eventual win.

No. 14 Barlow (11-7, 6-2 League) beat Sandy 13-5 Friday, April 26, in a non-conference bout.

It was a stark contrast to the two previous meetings between the schools. Sandy shutout the Bruins twice earlier in the week — a 1-0 nail biter Tuesday, April 23, and a 6-0 victory Thursday, April 25.

But Barlow showed its moxie, pairing its hot hitting with stout defense late to hold on for the win. The pitching was strong from junior starting lefty Dylan Sheaffer and senior reliever Micah Ackerman, and the Bruins snagged a final out with the bases loaded in the 7th inning by getting under a pop-up.