The Bear River Bears will face off against the Desert Hills Thunder at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Bear River 4, Desert Hills 3.4) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Bear River is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Monday. They walked away with a 9-5 win over Timpanogos. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Bears.
Garrison Davis
| 05/11/26 vs Timpanogos | 0 |
| 05/08/26 vs Pine View | 1 |
| 05/07/26 vs Pine View | 2 |
Garrison Davis looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Chipper Hawes and Dallen Rice did most of the damage at the plate: Hawes went 1-for-3 with one home run and three RBI, while Rice went 2-for-5 with three RBI, two runs, and one double. That's the most RBI Rice has posted since back in March. Dallin Bevan was another key player, going 2-for-4 with three runs.
Bear River kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Timpanogos only managed seven.
Meanwhile, Desert Hills faced Crimson Cliffs in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Monday. The Thunder sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with an 8-6 victory over the Mustangs. The game was the first time the Thunder have beaten the Mustangs on their field since March 20, 2024.
Isaac Swanson was a standout: he went 2-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and one triple. The team also got some help courtesy of Asher Williams, who went 3-for-4 with one home run and two runs.
Bear River's record now sits at 21-7. As for Desert Hills, their record is now 22-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Bear River has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Desert Hills struggles in that department as they've been averaging 6.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Bear River beat Desert Hills 9-6 in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. Will the Bears repeat their success, or do the Thunder have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
