Back-to-back late-game heroics has Mountain Crest’s summer baseball program one win away from accomplishing one of its primary goals.

The Blacksmith Fork (Mountain Crest) Trappers came storming back from a 8-1 deficit in a 10-9 Thursday victory over the (Green Canyon) Huskers, and then scored five times in the final two innings in a 6-2 Friday triumph over the Cache (Ridgeline) Wolverines.

The second-seeded Trappers will now square off against the top-seeded Wolverines in Saturday’s championship game of the 2026 Class AA State American Legion Tournament. Cache must beat Blacksmith Fork twice, starting at 11 a.m. at the Yard in Hyrum, to win the double elimination tourney. The Wolverines (23-6) fended off elimination with a 8-5 Friday evening win over the Huskers.

Blacksmith Fork trailed 2-1 heading into the final two frames against Cache on Day 2 of the three-day tourney, but took the lead for good with three runs in the sixth, followed by two more in the seventh. Kellen Smith put the tournament hosts ahead on a two-out single, immediately followed by a run-scoring single by Kyson Dattage.

Jack Nielsen had a big game for the Trappers (18-8) as he doubled, singled twice, scored two runs and drove in two more. Dalton Pehrson chipped in with a pair of runs and base knocks for Blacksmith Fork, which got seven strikeouts in 5.2 innings on the mound from Ethan Christensen, who limited the Wolverines to five hits. Dawson Simper pitched well in relief for the Trappers, to boot.

“It was a fun game to be a part of,” BF head coach Trace Hansen said. “Ethan Christensen and Dawson Simper pitched great and we had a lot of guys come through with some big hits in key situations. Jack Nielsen, Kellen Smith and Kyson Dattage all had some huge hits to finally help us break through in the sixth.”

Cooper Wilson accounted for three of the Wolverines’ six hits, highlighted by a run-scoring single in the bottom of the first. Cache plated its second run in the second inning.

The Trappers appeared to be destined for the one-loss bracket after giving up four runs in the third and fourth innings on Day 1 to the Huskers (11-12). The third-seeded Huskers appeared to be in control, up 8-1, but the Trappers got right back into the game by putting a six-spot on the scoreboard in the home half of the fifth. Blacksmith Fork strung together five base knocks in its big inning, headlined by a two-run double by Pehrson.

Both teams scored once in the six inning as the Huskers took a narrow 9-8 advantage into the seventh. The Trappers rallied once again, scoring twice in the seventh and Kellen Smith provided the heroics with a one-out, walk-off single.

Nielsen was a menace at the plate as he accounted for three runs, three hits and two RBIs for the Trappers, who got one run, three singles and one run batted in from Simper and one run two hits and one RBI from Graham Passey.

Tate Higham delivered a two-run single on his way to a three-RBI performance for the Huskers, while Dakota Calverley doubled, singled and drove in two runs, Brock Bingham contributed with one run, one hit and two RBIs, Easton Jorgensen with two runs, one hit and one walk, Beckham Ericson with a pair of runs, hits and RBIs, Gavin Spackman with two runs, one hit and one walk and Tristan Eborn with two runs and one hit.

This pushed the Huskers into Friday’s elimination bracket, where they held on for a 3-2 win over the North Cache (Sky View) Snow Devils. The Huskers pushed across all three of their runs in the bottom of the first, highlighted by run-scoring singles by Calverley and Spackman. Jorgensen and Spackman each produced a pair of hits.

Bronx Aguirre pitched the first five innings for the Huskers, struck out five and held the Snow Devils (6-17) to three hits and six free passes. Ericson only gave up one hit in two scoreless inning in relief to pick up the save.

Tucker Stokes singled twice for North Cache, who carved out one run in the third and fourth frames.

OTHER GAMES

The Snow Devils played their way into the tournament with what was essentially a 13-2 Thursday play-in win over the (Logan) Banditos. North Cache plated four runs in the top of the fourth and never looked back in its five-inning triumph.

Rad Sparrow came up big for the Snow Devils with four runs and two hits. Cayson Watterson doubled, walked once, drove in two runs and scored another for North Cache, which got one run, two hits and a run batted in from Stokes, two runs, one hit, two RBIs and two walks from Cameron Dillinger and two runs, one hit and one walk from Andrew Dillinger.

Cameron Dillinger went all five innings on the bump for the Snow Devils, fanned four, two walked and limited the Banditos to one earned run and five hits.

Corey White singled twice and scored once for the Banditos (5-9).

North Cache’s momentum was short-lived, though, as the Wolverines went off for six runs in the bottom of the second en route to a 9-2 victory later on Day 1 of the tourney. The Wolverines (23-6) accumulated 13 hits, led by Wilson’s three.

CJ Rampton came through with a lead-off inside-the-park home run as part of Cache’s big second inning, while Brett Rowser added a two-run double. Maddux Jensen finished with a pair of runs, hits and RBIs for the Wolverines, while Brady Akins added one run and two hits and Wilson two RBIs and a run, to go along with his three singles. Rampton also singled later in the game.

Murphy Jensen and Miles Ellington both fared well on the mound for the Wolverines as each pitcher gave up three hits in three-plus innings. The duo only issued one free pass.

Watterson contributed with two runs and base knocks for the Snow Devils, while Andrew Dillinger chipped in with two RBIs and Zayden Mitchell with a double.

The Wolverines scored in each of the first four innings against the Huskers in Friday’s elimination game, headlined by a four-run third. Cache led by as many as five runs at 7-2 before the Huskers rallied.

Jace Hansen led the charge offensively for the Wolverines with a trio of hits and RBIs, Jett Jensen, Rampton and Wilson all doubled for the Wolverines, while Easton Hollingsworth crossed home plate three times as a pinch runner.

Jayden Johnson, Calverley, Bingham and Higham all doubled for the Huskers. Johnson also singled, drove in two runs and scored another, Calverley also singled in another one of his at-bats and Jorgensen drove in two runs.