Prep baseball: Northridge outshines Bonneville 16-11 in hit-heavy region opener
Wright, Knights produce 16 hits in first bout back from spring break
- Northridge’s Jon Olsen (18) cuts at a pitch during a region baseball game vs. Bonneville on Monday, April 7, 2025, in Layton.
- Bonneville High’s Ryker Allen (24) safely slides into third base during a region baseball game at Northridge on April 7, 2025, in Layton.
- Northridge’s Kam Shirreffs delivers a pitch during a region baseball game vs. Bonneville on Monday, April 7, 2025, in Layton.
- Bonneville High’s Jet Hirschi (9) warms up during a region baseball game at Northridge on Monday, April 7, 2025, in Layton
- Northridge’s Kam Shirreffs (3) crosses home plate during a region baseball game vs. Bonneville on Monday, April 7, 2025, in Layton.
- Bonneville High’s Trevyn Sears (19) delivers a pitch during a region baseball game at Northridge on Monday, April 7, 2025, in Layton.
- Northridge’s Boston Wright (left, catcher’s gear) and Tyler Martin (right, 22) meet in the 7th inning of a region baseball game vs. Bonneville on Monday, April 7, 2025, in Layton.
LAYTON — After a week off, Northridge and Bonneville tallied a restless 27 combined hits during the first game back in Monday’s Region 5 baseball opener.
Senior Boston Wright claimed five RBIs on two of those hits, leading the Knights to a fifth consecutive win by a 16-11 score.
Without a home date in the last 13 games, Bonneville (6-6, 0-1 Region) awaits the completion of its new outfield fence as its series with Northridge (9-3, 1-0) continues Wednesday.
Six errors muddied the start for Bonneville’s Brycen Munford, giving up nine runs through the third inning.
Northridge senior Kam Shirreffs (5.0 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 7 K, 2 BB) hung tough through a two-RBI triple by Bonneville’s Jet Hirschi in the third. In the fourth, Wright cranked his first home run of the season, a 1-2 fastball over the fence for a 12-3 Northridge lead.
When the heat’s on, that’s when Knights coach Blake Redd wants his senior catcher in the box.
“Hitting it off a two-strike count, (Redd) told me to have a two-strike approach, so there you go. There’s my two-strike approach,” Wright said.
Wright improved his baserunning this offseason — about 30 yards between bases according to the NFHS handbook — from 6.96 to 6.56 at the beginning of his final campaign.
“I wish a lot of kids played as hard as Boston,” Redd said. “He’s played with his heart and soul and has become a real leader this year. He hustles all the time and hates to lose. If you hate to lose, you’re going to be ahead of a lot of guys.”
Northridge senior Jon Olsen (4 for 6, 4 RBI, 1 R), sophomore Parker Jeppson (1 for 4, 3 RBI, 1 R), and freshman Mick Whitaker (2 for 4, 1 RBI, 3 R) each left their mark on the box score, as senior Tyler Martin (2.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER) stepped onto the bump in the sixth.
Olsen, towering over the plate at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, said his personal at-bat philosophy is rooted in generosity. The senior shortstop highlighted hitting coach Dakari Armendariz with honing in his control and placement to help those on the bags.
“I’ve just kind of tried to hit the ball instead of trying to kill it,” Olsen said. “I’ve been just trying to hit base knocks, trying to help my team out and when my guys in front of me are getting on base, I gotta hit them home.”
Those at-bats certainly pressured Bonneville’s Trevyn Sears (3.2 IP, 8 H 7 R, 4 ER, 5 K, 2 BB) on Monday, with the freshman Sears picking up the loss relieving Munford when Northridge got its bats moving early.
Bonneville coach Ryan Shaffer praised the gritty performance of his young right-hander, who caught the staff’s attention at the sub-varsity level. Sears can expect pitches, albeit in limited packages, in the weeks ahead, Shaffer said.
“As soon as he learns to locate his fastball a bit better, he’ll be a really good pitcher,” Shaffer said. “When you leave it up in the zone, they’re going to hit it and we saw every time somebody left the ball up today, you got hit out today. As he gets more experience, he’ll keep getting better and better. He’s been really good hitting in JV games and so we call him as much as we can.”
On the back of Sears, the Lakers flashed the bats once more in the final frames.
Bonneville senior Adam Field, drawing a two-RBI single in the sixth, and junior Colt Randall, producing a fielder’s choice building off an error in the seventh, tested Martin late with the senior whittling down the Lakers’ order. Redd said an uncomfortable position in Monday’s game is beneficial for any closer at this point in the season, even for a senior he firmly trusts.
“When you put the bat on the ball, good things do happen so give Bonneville credit for that, but (Martin) came in to shut the momentum down,” Redd said. “Baseball’s such a game of momentum and Tyler knows how to do it.”
Connect with sports reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker@standard.net and X @ctbecker.