American Fork is 8-2 against Pleasant Grove since May of 2021 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Tuesday. The Cavemen will challenge the Vikings at 3:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
American Fork is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Utah's top teams: Lehi, who was ranked 15th at the time (American Fork was ranked second). The Cavemen put the hurt on the Pioneers with a sharp 11-2 win on Friday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Cavemen.
Tege Kelley
| 04/18/25 @ Lehi | 1 |
| 04/11/25 @ Lone Peak | 1 |
| 04/03/25 vs Riverton | 2 |
| 03/21/25 vs Coronado | 2 |
| 03/21/25 vs Arbor View | 1 |
| + 2 more games |
Tege Kelley looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits over four innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Gavin Robinson, who fired off two home runs and three RBI while going 2-for-4. Those two home runs gave him a new career-high. Cache Poulson also deserves some recognition as he launched his first home run of the season.
Meanwhile, Pleasant Grove waltzed into their matchup on Saturday with 13 straight wins... but they left with 14. They were the clear victors by an 18-5 margin over the Thunder. The Vikings' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Hyrum Long looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit.
On the hitting side, Pleasant Grove got a massive performance out of Drew Smith, who fired off two home runs, three runs, and four RBI while getting on base in all five of his plate appearances. The team also got some help courtesy of Nash Bennett, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, four runs, and one triple.
Pleasant Grove always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .535. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Westlake only posted an OBP of .370.
Pleasant Grove pushed their record up to 15-1 with the victory, which was their fifth straight on the road. Those road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.8 runs over those games. As for American Fork, their record now sits at 13-3.
Everything went American Fork's way against Pleasant Grove in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, as American Fork made off with a 10-0 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Cavemen since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
