EVANSTON — The Evanston Outlaws Post 41 American Legion Baseball team dropped two and won two in the Cedar Summer Slam tournament in Cedar City, Utah, with all games played against Utah competition. The Outlaws now stand at 20-22 on the season with two all-important AA West Conference games against the Giants in Jackson set for this Friday, July 19, in a doubleheader.

Canyon View 9 Evanston 6 

The Outlaws lost the lead late in a 9-6 defeat by Canyon View on Thursday, July 11. The game was tied at five with Canyon View batting in the bottom of the fourth when Rigby drew a walk, scoring one run. 

Canyon View took the lead for good with seven runs in the fourth inning when Mecham doubled on a 2-1 count, scoring two runs. Durst was hit by a pitch, bringing in a run. Rigby drew a walk, scoring one run, as did Zobell and Ekker, and an error scored one more run for Canyon View.

Ekker led Canyon View to victory on the hill. He allowed 12 hits and five runs over four innings, while striking out one and walking one. Hopkin threw two innings in relief out of the bullpen.

Ethan Beus started the game for Evanston. He allowed four hits and five runs over three innings, while striking out one.

Derf Periman took the loss for the Outlaws. He lasted two-thirds of an inning, allowing two hits and four runs.

“We didn’t seem to be awake in the opening game,” Outlaws’ skipper Jason Lloyd told the Herald. 

“Canyon View was an average team and we let one slip away,” he added.

Evanston had 14 hits in the game. Seth Lloyd, Brendan Thompson, Ryan Fisher, and Jagger Mitchell all had multiple hits for the Outlaws, with Lloyd going three of four from the plate to show the way for Evanston.

Mecham went 2-for-3 at the plate to lead Canyon View in hits.

Fremont 12 Evanston 1

Evanston fell behind early and couldn’t come back in a 12-1 loss to Fremont, Utah, on Friday. Fremont scored on a single by Clark and a single by Larken in the first inning.

The Outlaws struggled to contain the high-powered offense of Fremont, who followed up with five runs in the second inning. Grange, Howell, Arevalo and Larken all had RBIs in the frame.

Hancock led Fremont to victory on the hill. He surrendered one run on two hits over three innings, striking out two. Moss threw one inning in relief out of the bullpen.

Mitchell took the loss for Evanston, allowing seven hits and eight runs over two innings, while striking out one and walking one.

Arevalo started the game for Fremont. He lasted one inning, allowing zero hits and zero runs while walking zero.

“We only managed two hits in that game,” Lloyd said of the matchup with Fremont.

“Not a very good outing for us, but credit Fremont. They were a very good team,” the head coach added.

Lloyd and Mitchell each managed one hit to lead Evanston.

Fremont totaled 13 hits in the game. Grange, Larken, Howell, and Memmott each collected multiple hits for Fremont, and the Utah team was also sure-handed in the field and didn’t commit a single error. Grange had the most chances in the field with four.

Evanston 19 North Sevier 1

Mitchell would not be denied at the plate on Friday, picking up four hits and leading the Evanston Outlaws to a 19-1 win over North Sevier, Utah. Mitchell doubled in the first, doubled in the second, singled in the second, and singled in the fourth.

The Outlaws secured the victory thanks to 12 runs in the second inning. Mitchell, Lloyd, Ryan Fisher, Derf Periman, Thompson, and Jordan Schneider all moved runners across the plate with RBIs in the inning.

“We walloped that team pretty well,” Lloyd said.

“We kind of got our bats going again and our pitching was solid,” the coach shared.

“Ryan (Fisher) started for us and pitched well and then Gus (Allred) came in and closed it out for us,” Lloyd said of his hurlers.

Post 41 got things moving in the first inning when Mitchell drove in one when he doubled.

Fisher was the winning pitcher for Evanston. He lasted three innings, allowing three hits and one run, while striking out four and walking one. Beus threw two innings in relief out of the bullpen.

Robb took the loss for North Sevier. He allowed nine hits and 11 runs over one and two-thirds innings.

The Outlaws tallied 16 hits on the day.  Mitchell, Fisher, Thompson, Reid Gross, and Derf Periman each racked up multiple hits for Post 41, with Mitchell picking up four hits in five at-bats. Evanston did not commit a single error in the contest with Mitchell making the most plays with five.

Evanston 6 Ridgeline 2

The Evanston Outlaws defeated the Logan, Utah-based Ridgeline Mavericks, 6-2, on Saturday, in a matchup of third seeds from pool play on Thursday and Friday, to close out the Cedar Summer Slam tournament.

Evanston scored in the first inning, when Lloyd grounded out, scoring one run.

“Ridgeline had some good kids but we hit the ball really well in that game,” Lloyd affirmed.

The Outlaws added three runs in the fourth inning with Gross pounding out an RBI-double in the inning to lead the run scoring.

Lloyd earned the victory on the hill for the Outlaws, lasting four innings while allowing one run on two hits. He struck out three and didn’t yield a walk. Fisher threw three innings in relief out of the bullpen.

Burnhort took the loss for Ridgeline Mavericks. He surrendered five runs on eight hits over six innings, striking out three.

The Outlaws scattered ten hits in the game. Fisher, Thompson, and Lloyd all had two hits to lead Evanston. The Outlaws didn’t commit a single error in the field. Gross had the most chances with 11.

“Overall, a pretty good weekend,” the head coach avowed.

“We changed the lineup and experimented a bit this past weekend. Everybody’s arms are feeling good and we feel we’re back on track and where we want to be,” Lloyd added.

The Outlaws have a AA West Conference doubleheader in Jackson this Friday evening, with games slated for 5 and 7:30 p.m., and will also play the Giants again on Saturday in a game with no conference implications. Following the last regularly scheduled games this weekend, the Outlaws will have a full week to prepare for the state tournament in Gillette, July 26-30, though Lloyd may try to schedule a “filler game” during the final week of practice.

“There are a couple of teams from Ogden that would like to cruise up and play so we may schedule a ‘tweener game’ or two as we get set for state,” Lloyd said.