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OREM — Bingham took advantage of six errors and held off Layton 6-5 to win the 5A state baseball championship.
This is the second state baseball championship for Bingham in three years and brings its total to 21. No high school baseball team in Utah has more titles than the Miners.
"It's a tradition of excellence," says senior outfielder Braxton McKee. "It's incredible to compare ourselves with some of the early Bingham state titles and I'm just glad to be a part of it."
Errors were costly for Layton throughout the game. A throwing error in the fourth inning allowed Bingham's Landon Walbeck to score giving the Miners a 2-0 lead.
A suicide squeeze by Ryan Llewelyn would score Walbeck and the Miners had a 3-0 lead after four innings.
One swing of the bat changed the game in the fifth inning. Layton's Quentin Marcelin crushed a three-run home run over the left field wall, tying the game.
Layton would take the lead in the sixth inning. Caleb Harrop hit a double down the left field line, brought two runs in to score and gave the Lancers a 5-3 lead.
Bingham would rally in the bottom of the sixth. Down 5-4 Miners catcher Jacob Druce singled in the tying run.
Moments later, Layton committed its sixth error of the game trying to throw out a runner at second base which allowed the go-ahead run to score.
"Those games where you take the lead and keep it are good but it's not a state championship game unless the lead goes back and forth," says Druce.
Layton had the tying run at second but Coleman Stout tagged out the Layton batter running to first base for the final out. It set off a celebration that the players will never forget.
"Absolutely incredible," says Druce. "I was in the bottom of that dogpile and couldn't feel anything actually. I may have broken my leg but I'm alright for now."
