Sorenson pitches no-hitter, Bulldogs head to quarterfinals

DUCHESNE—The Gunnison Valley Bulldogs are headed to the Utah 2A baseball quarterfinals after an 11-7 nighttime win over American Leadership Academy (ALA) on Saturday, May 2, at Duchesne High School. The No. 3 Bulldogs will face No. 2 Kanab at Brigham Young University (BYU) on Thursday, May 7, at 7 p.m.

Gunnison Valley secured the trip to Provo with the victory over ALA and a 10-0 win over Millard in the early game at Duchesne.

The Bulldogs improved to 19-5 with the win over ALA, which sent Gunnison Valley into one of its toughest tests of the season against the Cowboys. Kanab enters the game against Gunnison Valley with a 22-3 record after holding Grand County and Parowan scoreless in a 24-0 run.

Gunnison Valley uses a decisive third inning to defeat ALA

The Bulldogs finished with 11 runs on 11 hits against ALA, breaking the game open with a seven-run third inning. Gunnison Valley added single runs in the fourth and sixth to maintain its lead.

Braxton Pickett led the offense, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI, while also drawing a walk and stealing three bases. Porter Comin matched the hit total, finishing 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Dillon Dyreng contributed one hit and two RBIs with two walks, and Axton Sorenson added a hit and two RBIs. Waylon Sorenson added two hits, and Briggs Hendrickson added an RBI.

The Bulldogs showed patience at the plate, drawing nine walks. Daxton Knudsen and Kason Brackett each walked multiple times and scored two runs apiece.

On the mound, Pickett earned the win, allowing four runs, one earned, on three hits over four innings with four strikeouts. Knudsen worked one inning, and Waylon Sorenson finished the game with two hitless innings, striking out five.

Shutout: Waylon Sorenson pitches a no-hitter against Millard

Waylon Sorenson highlighted the early game against the Millard Eagles, tossing the 10-0 no-hitter without issuing a walk and striking out 14 batters. At the plate, he went 2-for-2 with a run, two RBIs and a triple. He also stole a base.

The Bulldogs finished with 10 runs on eight hits and were led by Brackett, who went 3-for-3 with an RBI. Axton Sorenson added two RBIs, while Comin went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Pickett scored twice, and Dyreng and Hendrickson each contributed an RBI as Gunnison Valley spread production across the batting order.

Gunnison Valley committed just one error and posted a .944 fielding percentage. Axton Sorenson led the way with 13 putouts.

Results for the May 7 quarterfinal game at BYU against Kanab will be published in next week’s edition of the Sanpete Messenger.