Lady Spartans lose one winning streak to start another

Josie Luke

After winning eight straight, the Emery High Softball team dropped two tough games in a doubleheader against Juan Diego this week, and then started a new winning streak, beating North Sanpete twice in their second doubleheader of the week, to bring their overall record to 10-3.

The Spartans faced the Soaring Eagle at home in two games on April 1, losing the first game 4-1 and the second 5-2. Emery kept the score close in both games, but stranded runners in the first game and allowed their opponents a huge inning in the second game to lose both.

In the first game, Jalee Jensen smoked a triple to right in the first inning, but never reached home, with the Juan Diego pitcher striking out two in the inning. Leslee Lake kept the Spartans close, not allowing a run until the third inning, but the Spartans failed to take advantage. Even with Jensen reaching base again in the third on a single, she once more was kept from scoring.

With Lake pitching well, the game was close until the sixth inning, when the Soaring Eagle broke loose to score two more, bringing the score to 4-0. The Spartans tried to rally in the seventh, with Keera Allred smacking the team’s second triple to right field, and Jensen bringing her home with a double to right-center field, but they couldn’t break through.The game ended 4-1.

Emery’s chances looked good in the second game. Chelsea Skinner commenced the hitting for the team by blasting a triple to center in the second. In the third, Bailey Kay scored on a hit from Markette Tanner, who almost scored an inside the park home run, before being tagged out at home. The Spartans scored their second run when Jensen ran out an infield single, and then preceded to steal second and reach third and home on overthrown balls.

The Spartans also showed off their defense, with Adriane Weihing making a great catch in center to save a hit and Jensen showing her arm, throwing one in to Candice Norton for an amazing out at third base in the fourth inning.

In fact, a win looked almost assured for the Spartans with Lake pitching well, and with a score of 2-1 going into the seventh inning, but then Emery fell apart, conceding four runs in the final inning to lose the game.

North Sanpete traveled to Emery High two days later for two games against the Spartans. The Hawks were not as lucky as Juan Diego, losing both games to a hungry Emery team, with scores of 13-3 and 14-5.

The first game showed a different Spartan team than was seen two days before. In the second inning, Tanner reached third base on a triple, bringing in Kay, and then scored on the first of two doubles by Allred in the game. Allred then stole third base and home on overthrows by the Hawks. Jensen also had a single in the inning.

North Sanpete scored their only three runs in the next inning, but the Spartans then opened up a huge lead, scoring five in the fourth, three in the fifth and two in the sixth, ending the game early because of the mercy rule.

North Sanpete opened the second game by scoring three runs in the first inning, but Emery responded, scoring four in the inning and hitting a total of six doubles in the game. Weihing, Lake, Kay and Norton each hit one, and Skinner hit two. Kay was the star of the game, hitting the double and topping it off with a three-run home run.

Hitting was a huge part of both wins for the Spartans, with 13 hits in the first game and 18 in the second. The Spartans will look to continue their hot hitting as they travel this week to face Delta in two games on April 8 and North Sevier in one on April 9.

Spartans bounce back from tough
week with two convincing wins

Josie Luke

The Spartan baseball team bounced back from their tough week by carrying out two convincing wins this week at home, ending each game in the fifth inning by the 10-run mercy rule.

Emery faced the North Sanpete Hawks in the first game on April 4. The Hawks came into the game with a similar overall record to Emery, but the Spartans held them to only two runs, winning their first region game to bring their record to 1-2 and sending their opponents home without a region win at 0-3.

Emery jumped on top in the first inning, scoring two runs before N. Sanpete matched their score in the second. Emery then distanced themselves, scoring one in the bottom of the second inning, four in the third and five in the fourth, bringing the score to 12-2. Emery then kept the Hawks from scoring in the top of the fifth to end the game.

Gatlan Huntington, the winning pitcher, hit well in the game and was supported by solid hitting from his teammates. The Spartans had 14 hits in the game, with Blake Mortensen and Derrick Allred each with three hits; Bret Mecham, Colby Snow, Jordan Gee and Huntington each with two; and Ryne Jones with one. Snow had a great game, hitting a double and driving in five runs in the game.

The Spartans hit a total of four doubles in the game by Snow, Allred, Mecham and Huntington, and a triple by Ryne Jones.

Emery brought their overall record to 5-7, winning their second game, a make-up from earlier in the season against Uintah on Saturday. The Utes had beaten the Spartans in a close game the week before, and Emery was looking for retribution. They got it, once again ending the game by 10-running their opponents.

With two outs in the second, Emery awakened, blasting the opposing pitcher for six runs. Uintah tried to stay in the game, scoring one in the third inning, and two in the fourth, but Emery continued the barrage, with two runs in the third and four in the fourth, ending the game with a bases-loaded walk in the fifth inning, 13-3.
Bret Mecham and Jason Giles led the Spartans with three hits and two RBIs, and two hits and three RBIs respectively. The Spartans had a total of 10 hits and 8 RBIs in the game.

On April 8, Emery will play a double-header at home against Delta. The Spartans have a better overall record, but the in their region opener, the Rabbits handed Carbon their first region loss on April 4.