Both the Davis and Lehi baseball teams had stretches in Thursday’s 6A battle at UCCU Ballpark in Orem where they took advantage of opponent miscues, resulting in a bizarre stat line:

In the two innings where teams scored in the first four innings, they combined to score 10 runs on just a single hit.

The Pioneers ended up having the edge in that department, scoring six runs in the bottom of the fourth without a hit to turn a 4-0 deficit into a two-run lead.

The Darts kept battling — including getting a solo shot by junior Kaleb Weaver and getting the tying run to the plate in the seventh — but Lehi added another run in the bottom of the fifth, didn’t allow the Davis offense to rally and the Pioneers held on for the 7-5 win.

Jared Lloyd, Standard-Examiner

“We didn’t throw it as well as we have all year,” Dart head coach Joshua Godfrey said. “We just throw strikes. We knew were going to be limited in pitching, and we had to battle through that — but so were they. They know how to play. They are the defending champs for a reason. And these were good games.”

The season was on the line for both teams, since No. 2-seeded Davis had knocked off the No. 10-seeded Pioneers, 5-3, earlier in bracket play only to have Lehi avenge that defeat on Wednesday with a 7-6 victory.

That meant the winner of the game was headed to this weekend’s 6A championship series against top-seeded American Fork, while the team on the short end of the scoreboard would be done.

The Pioneers came in as the home team, which is usually an advantage. Davis, however, turned the tables in its first at-bat.

The Darts demonstrated patience at the plate and it paid off as Davis was able to have its first run cross the plate after four walks. It got a second run on a wild pitch, notching two on the board without a hit.

Jared Lloyd, Standard-Examiner

Dart junior shortstop Cayman Sanchez then came through for his team, smashing a two-RBI single to make the score 4-0 for Davis before many fans had even settled into their seats.

Neither team was able to break through again until the bottom of the fourth when the Darts provided some gifts of their own for Lehi.

The Pioneers got runners on base when two consecutive batters got hit. A throwing error on a bunt allowed Lehi to plate its first run, followed by a walk that loaded the bases.

Davis had a chance to get the first out of the inning on a hard chopper that bounced high, but the throw home was just a half-second late. The Darts then returned the favor by walking in a pair of Pioneer runs to tie the game.

Lehi then surged in front on hard-hit ball to short. Sanchez made a great play on the ball and got the out at second, but couldn’t get the ball to first in time for the double play.

Jared Lloyd, Standard-Examiner

The Pioneers then took advantage of some confusion in the field to add a second run when the Darts thought time had been called, giving Lehi a 6-4 lead through four innings.

Each team added a run down the stretch but although Davis got the tying run to the plate on a couple of occasions, the Darts ran out of time to mount a comeback.

Davis finished the season with a 23-8 record overall and won Region 1 going 13-2, but Godfrey said the story of this year’s team went much deeper.

“This is a really good group,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “I started most of them as sophomores, knowing they were going to be good. This was the end goal. We talked about this three years ago. We knew what we had to do and we almost did it.”

Godfrey said that while the Darts will have to rebuild after losing 13 seniors, this group has set a high bar for future Davis teams to aim for.

Jared Lloyd, Standard-Examiner

“We have enough dudes coming back who played to have a strong core that can lead,” he said. “But the expectation is now winning region championships and making it to UVU. The expectation is set now for us as the team up north to be here every year. That’s what we will take into the summer with the group coming up. The bar is raised, so we need to go meet it.”

Davis players prepare to take the field for the 6A elimination game against Lehi at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Thursday, May 22, 2025.

Davis junior Kaleb Weaver slides into third base during the 6A elimination game against Lehi at UCCU Ballpark in Orem on Thursday, May 22, 2025.

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