After suffering a loss to Summit Academy in the first round of the 2A State Championship Tournament, the Emery Spartans avoided elimination with a win over South Summit in five innings Saturday in Kanab.

Entering the state tournament as the No. 3 seed from the 2A East, the Spartans went toe-to-toe with the Summit Academy Bears in the opening round. Despite a closely contested battle, Emery fell just short in a 6-3 decision.

Holding a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third frame, the Spartans allowed three runs as Summit Academy took the lead for good. One run in the fifth trimmed the deficit to one run, but the Bears responded by putting the game on ice with two more in the fifth.

Tel Gardner pitched four innings, allowing seven hits and six earned runs in the loss. Race Nielsen finished the final two frames, allowing just two hits. Defensively both pitchers received excellent support as the field played error free baseball.

Logan Labrum recorded two RBI and finished 2-4 at the plate with a single and double. Nielsen finished 3-3 with three singles and Zac Jorgensen ended 1-3 with an RBI single.

The loss moved the Spartans down to the one-loss bracket, pitting them against South Summit in an elimination contest later in the afternoon.

Needing a win to keep the season alive, Emery responded in a big way, scoring 11 runs in the fifth inning to grab a comfortable 17-6 victory. The win eliminated South Summit, and put the Spartans back in contention for a state championship.

Jorgensen pitched a complete game, allowing nine hits and six earned runs. Despite the amount of hits given up, Jorgensen shut South Summit out in three of the five innings.

Emery’s offense delivered plenty of run support by scoring 17 runs off of 17 hits. Keaton McDermott knocked a grand slam, while Jorgensen recorded three RBI off of three hits. Four others logged two RBI in the all-around performance.

The win moves Emery into another elimination contest on Thursday against Providence Hall, the No. 1 seed from the 2A North on Thursday at 11:00 a.m.. The Spartans will need to win the next seven straight games in order to win a state championship.

Click HERE to view the complete 2A State Championship Bracket.

*Photo courtesy of Jerad Baletka