The Emery Spartans allowed seven runs in the opening inning and never managed to recover as they dropped to 1-3 in region play with a 16-5 loss to the Gunnison Bulldogs Tuesday afternoon in Castle Dale.

Race Nielson was charged with the loss on the hill for Emery, while Gunnison ace Drew Hill worked a solid outing surrendering just five hits. The win for the Bulldogs keeps them at the top of the standings with a record of 4-1.

Hoping that the momentum from Friday’s win over San Juan would carry over, the Spartans dropped into an instant hole. Each time Emery attempted to cut into the lead, the Bulldogs had an immediate answer.

Scoring their first run in the bottom of the third to chop the deficit to six, the Spartans allowed two more in the top of fourth. Emery responded with their biggest inning of the game by scoring four runs in the bottom of the fourth, only to give up seven in the top of the fifth.

Jordan Baletka recorded the Spartan’s lone extra base hit with a triple. As a team the Spartans registered five hits at the plate and committed three errors in the field.

Emery will have a chance to earn revenge on the Bulldogs when the two team’s go toe-to-toe for the final time this season on Friday in Gunnison. Start time for the region contest is set for 3:30 pm.