The Dragon baseball team split their games, taking the close loss in Preston against the Indians before defeating the Soda Springs Cardinals at home.  After the weekend, Malad earned a little redemption as they won against Preston in extra innings.  

Malad came out swinging on Tuesday, April 14, against Preston but a late surge and a tough fourth inning ultimately pushed the Indians to a 10–9 finish.  Up to bat first, the MHS team started out strong.  Easton Green singled on a line drive to center field, Cale Briggs following with a similar hit.  Down the line, Carter Carey grounded out to shortstop, but provided the opportunity for Green to make his way around the bases for the first score of the game.  Ethan Horsley doubled to right field to bat Briggs to make the score 2-0 before the Dragons collected their final out of the inning.  

The bottom half of the inning demonstrated the Dragons strong defense, getting three quick outs on three batters.  Ky Willie forced the first out, catching the hit in center field.  Carey made the play at home, catching the pass from Peterson at shortstop to force the out at home instead of the easy one at first.  Green caught the pop fly to left field to send the Dragons back to batting.

The MHS team continued scoring in the second, Holdyn Higley starting the offense getting walked on base.  Willie followed with a double line drive to left field.  With two on base, Hudson Daniels ground out to shortstop, but not before Higley could score.  As Briggs was up to bat, Willie stole home to put the Dragons up 4-0.

The Indians began to chip away at the lead in the bottom of the second.  The MHS team got two quick outs, Briggs making both plays at second.  But then the Preston bats got hot, tying the game at 4.

The two teams both suffered a scoreless inning in the third. Malad got back on top in the fourth, adding two runs by Brayden Arnout, courtesy runner for Carey, and Green.  Unfortunately the lead was only temporary as Preston put up 5 runs, partly due to mistakes by the MHS team.

Preston continued to widen the gap on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth, adding a final run to bring the score 10-6.  Not finding any greater success in the sixth inning, the Dragons had one final inning to bring the game back in their favor.

After an early out, Carey started the rally with a single, and Horsley moved him along with a tough two-out opportunity that kept the inning alive. Kurt Ward followed with a line drive single to center, putting runners in scoring position and setting the stage for a dramatic finish.

Higley then came through in a big moment, lining a single to center that scored Carey and trimmed the deficit to 10–7. The pressure immediately shifted back onto Preston as Malad kept extending the inning.

Willie reached on an error that allowed Ward to move to third and Higley to second.   Just a pitch later Brooks Blaisdell delivered again with a fly-ball single to left. The hit brought home two more runs, cutting the lead to just 10–9 and putting the tying run in scoring position with still only one out in the inning.

The final at-bat ended on a strikeout to close the game, the pitch drawing questions from the Malad dugout and fans.  The Dragons may have ultimately fallen short, but the late-inning rally underscored just how close the Dragons came to completing the comeback.

The following day, the Dragons bounced back for a strong victory at home, closing the game early against the Soda Springs Cardinals as they were up 14-1 midway through the fifth inning.  

The Dragons wasted no time jumping out to lead in a commanding performance against Soda Springs.  Taking advantage of aggressive baserunning, timely hitting, and defensive miscues, the MHS team built an early 3–0 lead. That momentum only grew in the second inning, where Malad added to the scoreboard with continued pressure at the plate and heads-up play on the bases.

The real turning point came in the third inning, when the Dragons broke the game wide open. The lineup worked deep counts, drew walks, and delivered a steady stream of hits that forced the Cardinals into long defensive stretches. Big extra-base hits, including a triple by Peterson, helped fuel a massive inning as Malad piled on runs and stretched the lead to an overwhelming margin.

Even as Soda Springs attempted to chip away in the middle innings, Malad’s defense and pitching limited damage, while the offense continued to respond whenever needed. From top to bottom, the Dragons’ lineup contributed, getting on base, moving runners, and capitalizing on mistakes, turning what started as a strong opening into a full team effort.

Peterson drove in 5 runs on 2 hits to lead the Dragons, tripling in the third and doubling in the second.  Altogether, Malad collected 13 hits in the game, Horsley, Ward and Peterson each with two.  Ward started on the mound for Malad, allowing 2 hits and 1 run over 5 innings, striking out 6 and walking 5.  

The Dragons began their next week with a rematch against Preston Monday, April 20.  Earning a 3-2 walk-off victory in the eighth inning, the MHS team won in a dramatic fashion.  The defense dominated the game for both teams, keeping the contest scoreless until Preston scored in the fourth inning.    

The Indians added a second run to their tally in the top of the seventh, leading just 2-0.  Undeterred, the Dragons came into the bottom of the inning confident they could turn the game around.  Horsley and Higley found their way on base to start the inning.  Arnout stepped in as pinch runner for Higley before Willie went to bat.  Hitting a double to center field, Willie punched in Arnout and Horsley to tie the game up.  Getting two immediate outs following the runs, the teams went into extra innings.

Malad forced three outs, Higley making the catch at third base, Blaisdell forcing the out in left field and Green pitching a strikeout.  With only one out on the board, Carey hit a double line drive to put an MHS runner on base.  Daniels followed, bunting to advance Carey to third base.  Another short bunt to the infield by Horsley was the final play to send Carey in to seal the 3-2 walk off victory.

The Dragon’s play continues to help them overcome even the toughest of opponents.  The team continues to learn and adapt through each game, a true sign of their talent and ability to play the game.

The MHS team will next play as they host Marsh Valley on Tuesday, April 21.  Thursday the team will travel to Soda Springs for their second matchup.  Over the weekend, the Dragons are scheduled to host Wendell Friday before hosting Declo on Saturday.