Prep baseball: Weaver helps Davis edge Syracuse in tight Region 1 series
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- Davis High’s Kaleb Weaver throws a baseball in a game against Syracuse on Friday, April 12, 2024, in Kaysville.
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- Davis High’s Brenner Olson, left, tries to tag out Syracue’s Austin Burton (7) on Friday, April 12, 2024, in Kaysville.
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- Syracuse’s Jake Hopkins attempts a bunt in a game against Davis on Friday, April 12, 2024, in Kaysville.
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- Davis High’s Owen Talbot swings at a Syracuse pitch on Friday, April 12, 2024, in Kaysville.
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- Syracuse’s Dominic Johnatakis throws a pitch against Davis on Friday, April 12, 2024, in Kaysville.
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- Davis High’s Kaleb Weaver runs to third base in a game against Syracuse on Friday, April 12, 2024, in Kaysville.
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- Syracuse’s Carson Miles (16) slides into second base in a game against Davis on Friday, April 12, 2024, in Kaysville.
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- Syracuse High’s Jake Hopkins tracks down a fly ball against Davis on Friday, April 12, 2024, in Kaysville.
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- Davis High’s Brenner Olson prepares to catch an out against Syracuse on Friday, April 12, 2024, in Kaysville.
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- Syracuse’s Tag Hamblin, right, swings at a pitch as Davis High’s Gavin Jacks prepares to catch it on Friday, April 12, 2024, in Kaysville.
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- Davis High’s Max Hunter makes a catch in a game against Syracuse on Friday, April 12, 2024, in Kaysville.
KAYSVILLE — Davis High starter Kaleb Weaver did not pitch in the first two games of the Darts’ three-game baseball series against Syracuse because of a sore right arm, hoping to rest up for the finale.
When the 6-foot-2, 180-pound sophomore did take the mound Friday in the Region 1 rubber match, he responded with a 104-pitch, seven-inning, complete-game victory.
The Darts lost a one-run outing in the opener but narrowly took the next two, netting the series with a nail-biting 3-2 home win.
“I’m a three (in the rotation) because I play third base the start of the week, to get ready to go for the last day … keep my arm healthy; with playing the field and throwing, I try to spread it out,” Weaver said.
Weaver scattered four hits, walked two and struck out seven, including two in the final frame, for the Darts (10-3, 2-1 Region 1), using a combination of a fastball, curve and change-up, as Syracuse (4-7, 1-2) was off-balance the entire afternoon.
“I just went out there and kept throwing the same as the last six innings and it worked out. Normally we don’t go a full game because we don’t like to run our guys to that number, but I convinced the coaches to let me go,” Weaver said.
Runs were hard to come by and four of Friday’s five runs were unearned — so finding an RBI stat in the scorebook was a difficult task.
The lone run-scoring hit came in the fifth inning with Davis up 2-1 when Owen Talbot lofted a pop fly that waffled beyond second base and fell in front of the right fielder for a double. Seth Jarman scored from second and the Darts led 3-1.
“Honestly, I was just trying to put the ball to the right side. It wasn’t the best swing of my life, but it got down, so I guess it does the job,” Talbot said. “The wind got a hold of it. Sometimes that’s how it goes. Nice to have an insurance run at the time.”
Davis needed that run in the end when a fielding error in the top of the sixth inning closed the gap to 3-2, but the Darts held on for the victory.
“All three games were kind of close. We lost the first one 9-8, then the second one went extra innings before we won it 4-2. Then won this today 3-2,” Talbot said. “This team has been through a lot of adversity, so we know how to handle it when it comes. Trust the guy next to us to get it done.”
Dom Johnatakis was the hard-luck loser for Syracuse, pitching all six innings and yielding only three hits while striking out three.
Talbot’s double in the fifth was the only hit Johnatakis gave up after the first inning, where the two unearned Davis runs scored on a throwing error.
“It was a good team win. I knew we were winning the game because Kaleb Weaver is the bomb,” Talbot said. “He’s been dominant all year. Shout out to him. He’s been great; he didn’t even give up an earned run. We piggyback off of him.”
Sore arm and all.