It was a statement day at BYU for two 2A baseball powerhouses, as the state tournament bracket heated up with thrilling action. No. 2 Kanab punched their ticket to the championship game for the second straight year, while Gunnison Valley kept their title hopes alive with a gritty win in the elimination bracket.

The Cowboys showed why they're a force to be reckoned with, pulling away late to defeat No. 4 San Juan 12-3 in Friday's semifinal. After a slow start, Kanab's bats came alive, proving that patience and adjustments pay off when the stakes are highest.

"Today it kind of took us a minute to get going and get our barrels going," said Kanab head coach Craig Brinkerhoff. "After we kind of settled down, that's when we got back to ourselves."

Gray Anderson was the offensive sparkplug, delivering three RBIs and a triple to lead the charge. The Cowboys built a 2-0 lead through three innings before exploding for five runs in the fourth, fueled by timely hitting and aggressive baserunning. Any doubt about the outcome vanished in the sixth when they tacked on four more runs to put the game out of reach.

"I think offensively, our guys just kind of reset after the first four innings," Brinkerhoff added. "We just knew we needed to keep putting runs on the board. They're a great hitting team, and we need to put more runs on the board to give our pitchers some support."

Defensively, the Cowboys had been flawless through their tournament run, not allowing a single run before Friday. While they gave up three to San Juan—a couple due to defensive miscues—the team remains confident in their ability to clean things up.

"With our pitching, we tell our guys, 'You just command the zone and then let our defense do the rest,'" Brinkerhoff said. "On defense, we do have to clean up some areas. You just play catch. That's what it boils down to."

This championship berth feels particularly meaningful for Kanab, who fell short in last year's title series, dropping both games to South Sevier by a combined score of 27-9. With the majority of that roster returning, the Cowboys are using that disappointment as fuel.

"All of our returners know what it feels like to come up short," Brinkerhoff noted. "That experience is driving us now."

For fans looking to gear up for the championship series, now is the perfect time to stock up on baseball essentials—from cleats to caps—and show your support as Kanab aims to rewrite their story on the biggest stage.