Templar baseball racks up two big wins against Carbon

MANTI—In a game that demanded poise, timely hitting and resilience, Manti High School baseball delivered on all fronts last week at home and on the road.

With the outcome of a home match against Carbon High School on March 27 hanging in the balance through the early innings, the Templars seized control with a decisive offensive surge and never let go, fending off a late push by the Dinos to secure a 7-6 victory. It was a performance defined by a Zach Blackham grand slam in the fifth inning and another homer by Kellen Lund in the seventh to secure the victory.

Templar head coach said he has nothing but praise for Blackham, as both a player and motivating force on the team.

“Zach came up really big for us, kind of in the middle innings of that second game,” Hill said. “Carbon had a really good thrower, and we were able to continue to compete and actually get to a point where they had to pull him out. When they brought in their second kid, we were able to put together some really good at-bats and put runners on. Zach just put a good swing on one, and he’s been swinging the bat extremely well for us. He had five hits in total last week in the two Carbon games. He’s a great leader for our program, and he’s a great human being, a great kid.”

Manti finished with seven runs on nine hits, doing its damage in key stretches. After penciling in a run in the third inning, the Templars broke the game open in the fifth, erupting with Blackham’s four-run homer.

Manti combined steady work from its pitching staff to hold the edge. Spencer Robbins went 5 2/3 innings, allowing five runs while striking out five, before Lund entered in relief and closed out the final 1 1/3 innings, allowing only one run to help seal the win.

Despite committing five errors defensively, Manti’s ability to respond offensively and maintain composure in high-pressure moments proved decisive.

Manti stands firm in the early mix atop the 3A Region 13 standings, opening region play at 2-0 and matching Union for first place while riding a four-game winning streak. The Templars have outscored region opponents 14-9 so far and carry a 7-5 overall record.

Manti gets a decisive road win in Price

Three days earlier, this time in Price, the Templars didn’t just win against Carbon; they took control of the game.

Behind a composed pitching effort and timely offense that broke the game open in the middle innings, the Templars put together a complete performance to defeat the Dinos 7-3. Manti dictated the pace early and finished with seven runs on 13 hits, building its advantage with a four-run fourth inning that proved to be the turning point.

The Templars struck first with two runs in the opening frame and then maintained pressure before delivering the decisive fourth-inning surge. A run in the sixth added to the cushion.

At the plate, Manti saw production throughout the lineup. Zach Blackham led the way with a 3-for-5 performance and an RBI, while Lund went 1-for-2 with two runs scored. Durke Larsen added two hits and an RBI, and Spencer Robbins contributed a pair of hits and drove in two runs.

Carter Keisel provided additional run support with two RBIs, while Porter Daniels and Adam Andreasen each recorded a hit and drove in a run. Russell Squire also chipped in with two hits as the Templars found ways to keep innings alive.

As starter, Squire earned the win with a strong outing, allowing two runs over four innings while striking out five. Blackham followed in relief, pitching three innings and allowing one run while striking out two to close out the game.

Manti also played clean defensively, committing just two errors, and added pressure on the infield with a stolen base.

The performances against Carbon are indicative of what Hill hopes to see throughout the rest of the Templar regular season.

“We’re playing some really good baseball as of right now,” Hill said. “When you come in and it’s a new year, a new program, it’s a little hard to find your footing. But I think as we’ve played this tough schedule, and we’re leading in region play, we’re reaping the reward. We played a really good Carbon team who were ranked No. 3 coming into the week off Deseret News standings. Russell Squire, who’s kind of been a spot starter for us, came in and threw really, really well and gave us a good opportunity to win. Hopefully, as we continue throughout region play and throughout the season, we’ll keep that momentum.”

Results for Manti’s March 30 road game against Gunnison Valley and March 31 match at home against Grand County were not available by press time.