The Lady Spartans fought through the State Championships till the very end losing in the first of two possible contests for the state title. Earning the No.1 overall seed and falling to Grantsville for their first loss of the tournament, had to battle back to earn a win over North Sanpete, only to have to beat Grantsville twice for the title, but fell in nine innings 11-8.
Coach Dalen Johnson was a guest at the end of the season on KOAL’s Drive Time Sports and talked about the special group of seniors on this year’s team.
“I’ve had that group since they were eight, nine years old, and they’ve shaped me in multiple ways, they’re like my kids, every single one of them is like a daughter to me. I’ll be watching them for years to come for the rest of their lives. I have no doubt that they are going to be amazing in their lives after softball. I have Brooklynn (Ekker), who’s going to go on and play at a junior college in Kansas. The rest of them, as far as I know, are going to move on to other things. Every single one of them, they’re good ball players, but they’re just great kids, and they’re going to do great things in life.”
Below are recaps from the 2024 season.
March 7- vs. Providence Hall
The Lady Spartans got back to the diamond on Thursday when they were possibly looking for a little revenge, taking on the Providence Hall Patriots, the team that knocked them out of the playoffs. The contest was resolved with Emery taking the 3-2 win.
The Lady Spartans ended last season at 14-12 landing them in the No. 8 spot in the RPI and were sent home for the season by Providence Hall. So to say they were looking forward to this game may have been an understatement.
Things started quietly for both teams as Providence Hall scored both of their runs in the second, taking a 2-0 lead into the bottom half of the inning. The Lady Spartans then would make their move in the bottom of the third.
Kallee Lake was the first to get aboard in the inning from a single to the shortstop, holding at first base., Kaitlyn Thomas would enter the game as a courtesy runner for Lake. Brooklynn Ekker was the next batter up and would hit a triple to left field bringing Thomas around to score. With Ekker on third, Shannon Johnson came to the plate sending a single to short that allowed Ekker to score. Two batters later Rheagan Rhoten stepped up, with two outs, and sent a fly ball to center for a double, bringing Johnson home and giving Emery the 3-2 lead.
Lake was defensive-minded on the bump going 6.2 innings and giving up just four hits with a pair of earned runs, striking out seven.
At the plate, Johnson had a pair of hits with one run and an RBI. Ekker had a triple with an RBI, Madi Bunnell and Rhoten both had a double, with Rhoten adding an RBI, and Lake earned a hit as well.
March 12- vs. Manti
The Lady Spartans avenged the ghosts of playoffs past in the season opener against Providence Hall. On Tuesday it was time to jump into region play when they welcomed Manti to Castle Dale. A big sixth inning put the game away for Emery as they earned the 13-3 win.
Emery is getting back into the swing of things on the diamond as they will make their way through the season which will come to a close on April 26, on the road in Cedar City as they will face Canyon View.
The Spartans were the first to put runs on the board in the bottom of the first taking a 2-0 lead into the second. Emery would add one more run in the bottom of the fourth putting the score at 3-0. Manti tied the game up by the end of the top of the sixth and that was when the Spartans went to work.
With two outs Emery went on an incredible run, putting 10 runs on the board. Katelyn Nielson came up to the plate and sent a fly ball to center that gave Elly Stilson and Tailynn Minchey time to come home, making the score 5-3. One batter later, Brooklynn Ekker doubled off a fly ball to left field, bringing Nielson and Alexis Ungerman home and pushing the score to 7-3. The Lady Spartans would end the game on a Kali Jensen triple to right bringing in Elly Stilson, and Minchey home to move the score to 13-3, ending the game in six innings.
Kallee Lake collected three hits and an RBI for Emery. Shannon Johnson had two hits, scored two runs, and added an RBI. Ekker added a pair of hits, a pair of RBI’s, and scored a pair of runs as well. In all the Spartans had nine players with at least one hit.
Lake earned the complete game win allowing four hits giving up three runs, two earned, and struck out seven.
March 14- vs. Carbon
The Lady Spartans welcomed the Lady Dinos to Castle Dale in the first of two region meetings this season. In the game the only time Emery ever trailed was going into the bottom of the second when they found themselves down by one, after that, they took over and behind Kallee Lake on the mound were able to take the 5-3 win.
Carbon sits at 1-2 overall with their only win coming off a road trip to Delta, where they earned an 18-2 win in a region contest. The Lady Spartans sit at 3-0, with wins over Providence Hall, and Region 12 members Manti and Carbon.
The first inning was a quiet one with both teams maybe just getting to know each other again. The Lady Dinos would get on the board first adding a run at the top of the second. Emery would tie them up adding a run of their own. The Lady Spartans kept Carbon off the board in the third, but they would add a pair of runs of their own when Lake sent a single to center driving in Madi Bunnelll and Bailey Luke, to take the 3-1 lead to the fourth.
Carbon had a run of their own in the inning from a bases-loaded walk that brought Danica Adams home, to cut the Emery lead to one.
The Lady Spartans had single runs in the fourth and fifth inning, and Carbon would add one more run in the top of the sixth, and that would be as close as they would get with Emery earning the 5-3 win.
Samantha Riddle collected three hits in the game for the Lady Dinos with a pair of RBI’s and a run scored. Both Kylan Sorenson and Brailee Peterson had a pair of hits with Peterson adding an RBI. Taylor Secor, Adri Abeyta, and Brielle Sandoval all had one hit.
Kylan Sorenson started on the mound going five innings giving up seven hits and five earned runs, while striking out six. Adams put in one inning of work striking out three.
Katelyn Nielson and Rheagan Rhoten each had a pair of hits for Emery with an RBI and one run scored. Lake did her job at the plate as well collecting one hit and a pair of RBI’s. Brooklynn Ekker, and Kali Jensen each earned one hit in the Spartan win.
Lake earned the complete game win giving up 10 hits, three earned runs, and striking out seven.
March 15-16- St. George tournament
The Emery Lady Spartan softball team traveled to St. George on Friday to take part in the March Warm-up. Emery was able to collect a pair of wins and was handed one loss in the tournament.
Emery sits at 5-1 this season and already has a 2-0 record in Region 12 play.
In the first game, the Lady Spartans faced the South Sevier Rams, behind a big third inning, Emery came away with the 7-2 win.
Emery was able to put up two runs in the first inning. In the bottom of the third with the score tied at two, Emery would go to work with no outs and the bases loaded Kallee Lake sent a single to right field bringing home Shannon Johnson and Madi Bunnell. The Spartans added two more runs in the inning and then another in the bottom of the fourth to take the 7-2 victory.
Johnson had two hits and two runs scored, and Rheagan Rhoten added a pair of hits as well. Lake had one hit and a pair of RBIs.
Lake earned the complete game-win going seven innings, giving up two runs, one earned, and striking out 10.
The next game was against the Bonneville Lakers. Bonneville was steady throughout the game taking the 10-2 win over Emery.
The Spartans were the first on the board scoring two runs in the first, but they would only add one more in the fifth.
Johnson had a pair of hits and one run scored while Brooklynn Ekker had one hit and scored a pair. Kali Jensen had one hit and one RBI.
On the mound Rhoten got the start going 1.2 innings allowing eight hits, five runs, four earned, and striking out two. Lake entered the contest going three innings giving up three earned runs on three hits and striking out four, and Ekker ended the game going one inning with two runs, one earned on three hits, and struck out one.
The final game on Friday was against Stansbury, and Emery came away with a big 10-5 win over the Stallions.
Emery took the initiative in the game scoring two in the first inning, and always made sure to Stansbury at arms length. In the sixth, the Lady Spartans got some work in scoring four runs and putting the game away.
In the top of the sixth with two outs and two on Rhoten sent a single to center field driving in Johnson and Ekker to push the score to 9-5. Emery added one more run in the inning to hand Stansbury the 10-5 loss.
Rhoten had four hits with five RBIs and one run scored, Jensen, Ekker, Katelyn Nielson, and Alexis Ungerman all collected a pair of hits in the win.
Rhoten also got the start on the mound going six innings while giving up five earned runs on 10 hits.
March 19- @ Richfield
The Lady Spartans moved to 6-1 on Tuesday afternoon when they traveled to Richfield to face the Wildcats. Emery hit their stride in the middle innings to take the 10-2 win, improving their Region 12 record to 3-0.
Emery was riding a four-game win streak and lost their first game of the season to Bonneville at the St. George tournament over the weekend.
Emery took the lead in the first inning when, with a pair of outs Alexis Ungerman came up to the plate swinging at the first pitch as Kali Jensen stole second and Tailyn Minchey would score, Ungerman would single and while reaching first on an error, Jensen would come home. The Wildcats would come back in the bottom half of the inning to cut the Spartan lead to 5-3.
The Lady Spartans added three more runs in the top of the fifth and another in the top of the sixth, pushing the score to 10-3. The Wildcats would attempt a comeback in the bottom of the sixth and the seventh, but couldn’t cut the deficit, and Emery took the 10-6 win.
Katelyn Nielson collected two hits, earned two RBIs, and scored a pair of runs. Jensen had a pair of hits, one RBI, and two runs scored.
Rheagan Rhoten got the complete game win giving up six runs, four earned, on 11 hits, and striking out six.
March 20- vs. Duchesne
Emery softball welcomed in the Duchesne Eagles on Wednesday for a non-region tilt. Rheagan Rhoten was unhittable in the circle for the Lady Spartans as they earned the 8-2 win.
Emery sits at 7-1 this season overall and has an unblemished mark in region play.
Emery got on the board first in the bottom of the second to take a 1-0 lead into the third. In the bottom half of the inning, Madi Bunnell was able to score from third after a defensive interference call, then Kali Jensen sent a triple to right field to drive in Katelyn Nielson to push the score to 4-0. In the bottom of the sixth, Bunnell slammed the door on the Wasps as she sent one over the center field wall driving in Shannon Johnson to give the Lady Spartans the win.
Rhoten was the unstoppable force for Emery as she would get the complete game win surrendering no hits, giving up two runs, and striking out three.
Bunnell had two hits, drove in two runs, and collected two RBIs, Johnson had three hits and scored two runs. Jensen had three hits with two RBIs and Nielson had a pair of hits and scored three.
March 22- vs. Juab
Emery softball was home on Friday for a region contest against the Juab Wasps. The Lady Spartans used a huge second inning putting 11 runs on the board. The Spartans earned the win with home runs from Madi Bunnell and Rheagan Rhoten, who was in control from the bump as Emery would shut down the Wasps in five innings 20-6.
The Lady Spartans have an impressive 8-1 record overall and more importantly are 4-0 in region play, as the season nears the end of the first month.
The first inning was quick with each team going three up and three down as they made their way to the second inning. Juab would come out and put up four runs in the top of the second and then the Spartans went to work.
Down 4-0, Emery earned two quick runs in the second, and then with two on, Bailey Luke stepped up to the plate sending a double to center bringing in Kali Jensen and Alexis Ungerman to tie the score at four. Later in the inning, with two outs Ungerman was at the plate sending a double of her own to center this time to bring Katelyn Nielson and Tailyn Minchey home to push the score to 11-4 heading to the third.
In the bottom of the inning, Bunnell sent one over the center field wall bringing home Brooklynn Ekker and Shannon Johnson pushing the score to 14-6. Next batter up Rhoten would hit one over the center field wall for back-to-back home runs, then in the bottom of the fourth with the score 18-6 Jensen stepped up to the plate once again sending a double shot to center driving in Nielson, and Minchey, putting the game at 20-6 and sending the Wasps home with the loss.
Bunnell ended the contest with five RBIs on three hits, and three runs scored. Jensen had five RBIs on two hits and scored one. Nielson collected three hits scored three runs and scored one run, and Rhoten had a pair of hits and an RBI with one run scored.
Rhoten also held things down in the circle, giving up six runs, four earned on five hits and striking out one.
March 26- @ Delta
The Emery Lady Spartans remained unbeaten in Region 12 play with a lopsided 19-2 win over the Delta Rabbits Tuesday afternoon on the road.
Brooklyn Ekker pitched all four innings for Emery, allowing just two hits and two runs, while also fanning six batters.
Emery scored in each of the four innings, including a 12-run fourth inning that extended the lead to 17. As a team, the Lady Spartans gathered 13 hits and managed to take advantage of nine Delta errors.
Ellie Stoker went yard for the first time this season as she finished 2-4 at the plate with four RBIs, two hits, and one run. Katelyn Nielson knocked her third home run of the season as she finished 2-3 at the plate with three RBIs and a triple. Kali Jensen hit three singles in a 3-3 performance, while also registering three RBIs.
Emery sits at the top of the region standings with a perfect 5-0 mark in region play. During the five-game winning streak, the Lady Spartans outscored their region opponents 67-20. Three of the five wins have also come by double-digits.
March 27- @ Canyon View
The Emery Spartan softball team traveled to Cedar City on Wednesday to face the Canyon View Falcons. Putting their unbeaten Region 12 mark on the line, Emery exploded in the sixth putting 10 runs on the board and closing the door on the Falcons with a 15-1 win.
The Lady Spartans have one blemish on their 10-1 overall record, a 10-3 loss to Bonneville in tournament play, but remain undefeated in region play at 6-0.
There wasn’t much action in this one until the bottom of the third when Canyon View would put one run on the board. Emery came up in the top of the fourth breaking through and taking the lead 2-1. In the fifth, Emery found more offense pushing the lead to 5-1. It was the sixth inning when the Lady Spartans found their offensive groove.
With two outs, and the score sitting at 6-1, Elli Stoker stepped up to the plate and hit a fast ground ball to center that allowed Aleeyah Cowley and Alexis Ungerman to score. The next batter up was Brooklynn Ekker who sent a shot over the left-field wall driving in Kaitlyn Thomas who entered the game as a courtesy runner. Emery would go on to add five more runs in the sixth and earned the 15-1 victory in six innings.
Ekker had the hot bat for the Spartans collecting three hits a pair of RBIs, and scoring three runs in the rout. Katelyn Nielson had a pair of hits with three RBIs and one run scored, Cowley and Stoker each had two hits two RBIs and each scored, and Rheagan Rhoten added two hits and one RBI.
Rhoten was also the starting pitcher earning the complete game win giving up one earned run and striking out two.
March 29- vs. North Sanpete
The Lady Spartan softball team suffered their first region loss this season on Friday when they faced the North Sanpete Hawks in Castle Dale. Neither team made a move until the later innings but North Sanpete came out on top 6-5.
Emery holds a 10-2 overall mark and a 6-1 mark in region play. On Wednesday the Utah High School Activities Association will release the first RPI rankings of the season and we will be able to see how the Spartans stack up against the rest of 3A.
Emery and North Sanpete started slow, the Hawks would take the first lead in the top of the third putting up a pair of runs in the inning. Then in the top of the fifth, they would add four more to push the score to 6-0, and in the bottom of the inning, the Lady Spartans would get on the board.
With the score 6-1, and two outs on the board Kali Jensen stepped up to the plate sending a fly ball to center that would score Shannon Johnson, Rheagan Rhoten, and Katelyn Nielson, to cut the North Sanpete lead to 6-4.
The Lady Spartans added one more run in the bottom of the sixth when Brooklynn Ekker scored on a steal of home pushing the score to 6-5, but that was as close as Emery would get taking the loss.
Jensen collected a couple of hits and three RBIs for the Lady Spartans. Nielson had four hits and a run scored, and Ekker had a trio of hits and scored a pair of runs in the Emery loss.
Rhoten got the start on the mound going 4.2 innings giving up six earned runs on seven hits, Ekker finished out the contest surrendering two hits.
April 5- @ Manti
Lady Spartan softball traveled to Manti on Friday afternoon for a region contest. Emery was coming off a loss on March 29 against North Sanpete. In the game with Manti, the Lady Spartans held the lead early, but a big fifth inning from the Templars propelled them to the 7-6 victory.
The loss moves Emery to 10-3 overall this season, and 6-2 in Region 12 play. The Spartans hold the No. 2 spot in the RPI with 0.695575, mere points ahead of fellow region member Juab at 0.690674.
The Lady Spartans jumped out to a 3-0 lead going into the bottom of the second, putting up two runs in the inning when Alexis Ungerman hit a double that allowed Kali Jensen to score from second.
In the third, the Templars put five runs on the board taking the 5-3 lead. Emery came fighting back in the fifth when Rheagan Rhoten hit a double to bring in Madi Bunnell to cut the Manti lead to 7-4. Three batters later, with Kallee Lake at the plate and one out, Jensen would get caught stealing, and due to an error on the second basemen Morgan Luke would come home bringing the score to 7-5. Shannon Johnson scored one run from a Katelyn Nielson double in the top of the seventh, but the 7-6 total was as close as the Lady Spartans could get.
Jensen would end the day with three hits and a run scored. Nielson, Johnson, and Brooklynn Ekker would each collect two hits and one RBI. Bunnell would collect two hits and one run scored in the loss.
Rhoten got the start in the circle taking the loss going three innings giving up nine hits seven runs, four earned, and striking out three. Lake came in going three and surrendered two hits but collected six strikeouts.
April 9- @ Carbon
Carbon and Emery softball shared the field in Price on Tuesday, for the second and final time of the regular season. Emery held serve on their field and now it was time for Carbon to do the same. It was a tight contest but the Lady Dinos came away with a 6-5 win.
Carbon moved to 7-5 with the win and holds a 5-1 region mark, moving them to No. 6 in the most recent RPI. The Lady Spartans move to 10-4 overall and 6-3 in region play, the loss also sliding them backward one spot to No. 3.
The Dinos got on the board first scoring one in the bottom of the first. Emery would answer back in the top of the second, to tie the score at 1-1. Carbon came up in the bottom of the second putting up one run off of an Adri Abeyta double to left driving in Samantha Riddle and then two batters later Brielle Sandoval, grounded into a fielder’s choice bringing home Sage Vea to give Carbon the 3-1 lead.
The Lady Spartans would put up a pair of runs in the third and the fourth inning while keeping Carbon off the board as Emery had the score tied up 3-3 going into the bottom of the fifth. Carbon answered back in the fifth and the sixth to take the 5-2 lead headed to the seventh.
In the top of the seventh, Emery rallied and put a pair on the scoreboard when a Madi Bunnell single brought home Brooklynn Ekker, and Kaitlyn Thomas to tie things up at 5-5. Riddle came to the plate for the Dinos and brought home Brailee Peterson giving the Lady Dinos the 6-5 win.
For the Spartans, Ekker collected a pair of hits an RBI and a run scored. Bunnell had a hit with two RBIs, Kaitlyn Nielson and Kali Jensen both earned one hit and an RBI.
Kallee Lake went the distance in the loss giving up 12 hits, six runs, four of them earned, and striking out five.
Sandoval had three hits an RBI and one run scored for the Dinos. Riddle collected a pair of hits and scored one and had an RBI, and Abeyta had a pair of hits a run scored, and one RBI in the win.
Kylan Sorenson went six innings giving up four hits, five runs, three earned, and struck out five. Danica Adams came in to close things out and gave up a pair of hits.
April 10- @ North Sevier
Coming off the one-run loss to Carbon on Tuesday, the Lady Spartans were back on the diamond Wednesday for a non-region match-up with the North Sevier Wolves. Emery led early and kept it going taking the 12-4 win.
The Lady Spartans moved to 11-4 overall and have a 6-3 mark in Region 12, the win over the Wolves has also put them back in the No. 2 spot in the RPI.
Emery jumped out in the first adding four runs but was far from finished, adding runs in the second and third, then in the fourth with one out and two on, Brooklynn Ekker came to the plate sending a double to center driving in Kali Jensen, and Shannon Johnson to push the score to 8-1, the Lady Spartans would put up one more in the inning to take a 9-1 lead.
In the top of the fifth, North Sevier added two runs of their own, Emery went back to work in the bottom half of the inning with a pair of outs, and the Spartans leading 11-3 Ekker would send a triple to center driving in Jensen to move the score to 12-3, the Wolves would add one more but couldn’t overcome the deficit, as the Lady Spartans claimed the 12-4 win.
Madi Bunnell earned three hits, scored a pair of runs, and had an RBI for Emery. Ekker had had two hits and two runs adding three RBIs, Johnson added one hit, scored two runs and an RBI, and Jensen registered a hit scoring four.
Kallee Lake got the start for the Lady Spartans going three giving up one hit, one run, and striking out seven. Ekker went the next three with a hit and two earned runs and struck out five. Rheagan Rhoten closed things out with a hit, one run, and struck out three in the win.
April 12- vs. Richfield
April 13- Payson Tournament
The Lady Spartans have put together a pretty tremendous season. On Friday they made quick work of a region foe in Richfield 10-0. Saturday they traveled to take part in the Payson tournament going 3-1 and came away with the No. 1 spot in the 3A RPI in the latest rankings.
Emery holds a 13-5 overall record and is 7-3 in Region 12 play with four games left before the opening round of the state tournament that begins on May 4.
The game with Richfield was all Spartans from beginning to end. Emery was able to score in every inning of the contest. Up 4-0 in the fifth, Emery exploded for six runs in the inning and it all started when Shannon Johnson scored on a passed ball and then Brooklynn Ekker made her way home on a pair of errors by Richfield, to move the score to 6-0. The Lady Spartans added four more runs ending the game in five by the score of 10-0.
Kali Jensen, had a pair of hits, an RBI, and scored one run. Ekker had two hits and scored two, and Kallee Lake had a pair of hits and drove in one run in the Emery win.
Lake also got the win giving up one hit and striking out 11.
On Saturday they traveled to Payson for four games in tournament play. First up was a meeting with the San Juan Broncos. Emery was able to keep things close and then a six-run fifth blew the game wide open as they took a 10-1 win.
Emery showed their power in the third inning with back-to-back solo home runs from Ekker and Kylan Sorenson that moved the score to 3-0. Emery put one more run on the board and then in the sixth they exploded when Ekker stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and sent a grand slam home run over the center field wall bringing home Alexis Ungerman, Jensen, and Jonson pushing the score to 10-1 taking the win in five.
Ekker filled the stat sheet with two hits, two runs scored, and five RBIs for Emery. Johnson had a pair of hits an RBI and scored a run. Madi Bunnell had a pair of hits and two runs scored, and Katelyn Nielson had one hit, an RBI, and a run scored.
Lake went three innings in the circle, giving up a pair of hits, and striking out four. Rheagan Rhoten went two innings giving up a hit, and a run, and struck out one.
The Gunnison Valley Bulldogs were next up for the Lady Spartans. Emery put runs on the board in every inning taking the 14-0 win.
In the first inning, things got interesting right away. Nielson came up to the plate and Jensen stole home Nielson would ground out allowing Johnson to cross home plate.
Moving to the top of the fifth, Nielson sent a triple to right field driving in Johnson and Ekker. Three batters later, Bunnell would score on an error, and Tailynn Minchey sent a double to left driving in Rhoten to put the score at 14-0 giving Emery the win.
Nielson had a pair of hits with a run scored and four RBIs. Ekker collected three hits, four runs scored, and one RBI, and Jensen had three hits, scored two runs, and earned an RBI.
Rhoten went three innings giving up one hit and Ekker closed out the game with one strikeout. Ekker came in to close out the contest and struck out one.
The next team on the schedule was a team that Emery was familiar with, Duchesne. The Lady Spartans earned an 8-2 win over the Eagles back on March 20 in Castle Dale.
This time around it was really a pitcher’s duel as both teams combined for just seven hits and Emery took the 3-0 win.
This game went the distance with Lake in the circle giving up just three hits and striking out one. Nielson collected a pair of hits, and Ekker had one.
The final game on Saturday would put the Spartans up against the Springville Red Devils. The Red Devils are the No. 3 team in the 5A RPI with a 15-4 record.
Springville came out and held Emery off the board shutting them out 8-0 in five innings.
Johnson and Bunnell were the only Spartans to collect hits in the loss.
In the circle was a trio of Lady Spartans with Lake getting the start going two innings giving up one hit, two earned, and striking out four. Ekker came in for the next two surrendering five hits, six runs, five earned, and struck out two. Rhoten came in to get some work in the final inning.
April 16- @ Juab
Katelyn Nielson launched her fourth home run of the season as the Emery Lady Spartans clinched a season-series sweep over the Juab Wasps with an 8-2 win Tuesday afternoon in Nephi.
Kallee Lake pitched five scoreless innings while striking out seven batters and allowing just two hits to earn the win. Brooklyn Ekker and Rheagan Rhoten both worked relief as the Lady Spartans improved to 8-3 in Region 12 play.
Nielson finished 2-3 at the plate as she pushed her batting average to .475 on the season. Adding a double to her stat line, Nielson now has nine extra-base hits to go along with 20 RBIs in 65 plate appearances.
Emery captured the lead for good after two scoreless innings by plating two runs in the third. The game continued to hang in the balance until the Lady Spartans posted five runs in the top of the fifth to create a cushion.
Despite going hit-less in four at bats, Brooklynn Ekker finished the game with two RBIs. Lake helped push the Emery offense as she finished 2-3 with a single, triple, and two RBIs. Madi Bunnell also finished with one RBI.
April 19- vs. Delta
Lady Spartan softball has put together a pretty impressive record this season and kept things going against the Delta Rabbits. A pair of home runs from Brooklynn Ekker and Madi Bunnell got things going as Emery earned the 11-1 win in six innings.
Emery has compiled a 16-5 record overall and a 9-3 mark in Region 12 play. They also hold the No. 1 spot in the RPI which will be removed soon with just a pair of games left this season before the season comes to a close on April 30.
Delta jumped on the board with their only run in the top of the first. In the bottom of the inning, Ekker was the lead-off batter and sent a shot over the left field wall to tie it up. Then one batter later Bunnell came up and sent one over center to give Emery the 2-1 lead.
The bats went silent for both teams until the bottom of the fifth when Shannon Johnson came up and sent a bunt back to the pitcher who was given an error allowing Johnson to make it to second while Alexis Ungerman and Ekker scored. Four batters later, with Morgan Luke at the plate, Bunnell was able to score on a passed ball, and then Luke hit into a Fielder’s Choice, and Rheagan Rhoten and Bailey Luke scored to push the score to 8-1. The Lady Spartans added three more runs in the bottom of the six putting the score at 11-1 giving Emery the win in six innings.
Bunnell had one hit, scored three runs, and had an RBI. Ekker also earned one hit with two runs scored and an RBI, and Morgan Luke had two RBIs in the win.
Ekker got the start and the win going three innings giving up one hit, one run, and striking out one. Kallee Lake came in to close out the game going three with one hit and struck out seven.
April 23- @ North Sanpete
The Lady Spartans traveled to Mount Pleasant Tuesday to face the Hawks. Emery was coming off of a two-game win streak, with just a pair of games left before the end of the season, and every game counts. North Sanpete scored in every inning but one, and handed the Spartans their sixth loss this year, 8-2.
Emery sits at 16-6 overall and still holds the No. 1 spot in the latest RPI rankings.
North Sanpete scored in the first inning to take an early 1-0 lead that wouldn’t last for long as the Lady Spartans would tie the game up in the top of the second inning when Tailynn Minchey sent a single to short that drove Madi Bunnell home. North Sanpete would go on to add seven more runs over the next five innings, to push their lead to 8-1.
The last attempt for an Emery rally came with two outs and one on in the top of the seventh. Minchey stepped into the batter’s box and on her fourth pitch sent a single to center driving in Kaitlyn Thomas who had entered the game as a courtesy runner for Elli Stoker, to cut the lead to 8-2, but two plays later a ground out at first would end the game, handing North Sanpete the 8-2 win.
Minchey had two hits and two RBIs for the Spartans. Johnson, Stoker, and Ekker each had one hit in the loss.
Kallee Lake got the start in the circle for Emery going 3.0 innings giving up four hits, four earned runs, and three strikeouts. Rheagan Rhoten closed out the game and surrendered two hits, four runs, and striking out two.
April 26- vs. Canyon View
The Emery Lady Spartans used an explosive fourth inning to overcome a two-run deficit and earn a 10-7 win over the Canyon View Falcons Friday afternoon in Castle Dale.
Hampered by a slow start in the first three innings, Emery was faced with a 3-1 deficit heading into the bottom of the fourth. The game quickly turned as the Lady Spartans plated nine runs to take a comfortable 10-3 lead. Despite being held scoreless over the final two frames, the dynamic fourth inning was enough to propel Emery to its 17th win of the season.
Kallee Lake and Rheagan Rhoten split the pitcher duties on the mound. Lake tossed 3.2 innings, allowing seven hits, three earned runs and three strikeouts. Rhoten went 3.1 frames, giving up two earned runs and five hits to go along with two strikeouts.
Katelyn Nielson, Elli Stoker and Rhoten shared similar stat lines inside the batter’s box, each knocking a home run and recording two RBIs in the process.
Nielson’s power and timely hitting was once again on display as she fell a double shy of the cycle after a 3-4 performance. Rhoten also ended 3-4 with two singles. Both Kali Jensen and Shannon Johnson registered two hits as the Lady Spartans ended with 15 as a team.
The win marked Emery’s second of the season over Canyon View. The two teams met in Cedar City back on March 27. Emery had little issues in the road tilt, earning a 15-1 win in six innings.
Friday’s game brings the exciting regular season to an end for Emery. A mainstay inside the top three of the UHSAA RPI, the Lady Spartans wrap up the regular season with a 17-5 mark, which includes a 10-4 record in division play.
Currently sitting third inside Region 12, the Lady Spartans will now wait for the final RPI release, which will determine their playoff future. The 3A state tournament will begin this Saturday, with the top four seeds playing host to a pod.
May 4- Round one- American Leadership Academy
It took just three innings for the No. 1 Emery Lady Spartans to advance in the 3A State Tournament Saturday afternoon in Castle Dale.
Playing host to No. 16 American Leadership Academy, the Lady Spartans plated six runs in the bottom of the first inning and added 11 more in the second to secure the win in just three frames.
Kallee Lake tossed a no-hitter as she fanned three batters and walked just one. ALA had just 11 at bats in the game, reaching base safely once by error and another by walk.
Emery capitalized on five ALA errors as the team combined for 12 hits.
Katelyn Nielson ended a perfect 3-3 at the plate as she finished with three RBIs and one home run. Rheagan Rhoten also finished 3-3 as she led the team with four RBIs and a double.
Earning the No. 1 seed in the 3A State Tournament, the Lady Spartans played host to a six-team pod on Saturday afternoon. American Leadership advanced in the first game after beating Ben Lomond 18-8, setting up the meeting with Emery. Canyon View defeated Juab 10-2 in the third game at Emery School. Juab later eliminated ALA 17-5 to close out the busy day.
Saturday’s win places Emery the winner’s bracket as they now prepare to meet the Canyon View Falcons Thursday afternoon in Spanish Fork. Emery has beat Canyon View twice already this season.
May 9- State Tournament- Canyon View
The Lady Spartans got down to business on Thursday in Spanish Fork at the 3A State Softball Championships. In their opening game, they faced a very familiar opponent, the Canyon View Falcons. Emery used a three-run seventh to end the game with a two-run walk-off homerun from the bat of Katelyn Nielson and advanced by the score of 5-4.
Canyon View entered the contest at No. 8 in the final RPI of the season, the Lady Spartans hold the top spot. Emery took victories quite convincingly in their two other meetings this season, 15-1 at Canyon View in March, and 10-7 at Castle Dale in April.
Emery drew first blood, off of a Brooklynn Ekker double that would drive in Kali Jensen to take a 1-0 lead at the end of one. Canyon View added two runs of their own in the top of the second to take the lead. In the bottom of the third Ekker would single to drive in Shannon Johnson and tie the score at two. Things got quiet for the Lady Spartans for the next few innings.
In the bottom of the seventh with Cayon View on top 4-2, Emery put together a little rally that started with another Ekker hit into a fielder’s choice that allowed Jensen to score. Next up was Nielson who would get to play hero sending a two-run walk-off homerun over the right field wall, bringing Ekker home and ending the game 5-4.
Nielson had two hits with a pair of RBIs and a run scored. Jensen collected two hits and scored two runs. Ekker earned a pair of hits, three RBIs, and one run scored in the Spartan win.
Rheagan Rhoten got the start going 4.1 innings giving up four hits, four runs, and striking out one. Kallee Lake came in to close things out going 2.2 and striking out three.
May 10- State Tournament- Morgan & Grantsville
After an opening-day win over Canyon View, Emery moved into their second day for a match-up with Morgan Friday morning earning a 9-3 win. In their second game Friday they faced the Grantsville Cowboys in a high-scoring affair in which the Lady Spartans would commit 13 errors and drop their first game of the tournament, 17-11.
In the first game against the No. 4 Morgan Trojans, Emery got on the board putting up a single run in the first. In the second inning with the score at 2-0, Tailynn Minchey scored on a passed ball, and Shannon Johnson sent a line drive single to center and drove in Alexis Ungerman. Two batters later, Kaitlyn Nielson sent a single to right bringing home Johnson and Brooklynn Ekker putting the score at 7-0.
Morgan scored their only runs in the top of the third, and in the bottom of the fifth Ekker sent a single to left, driving in Ungerman and Kali Jensen giving the Lady Spartans the 9-3 win.
Jensen had a pair of hits and scored three runs for Emery. Nielson had two hits and a pair of RBIs, Johnson, and Ekker each collected one hit, two RBIs, and a run scored.
Kallee Lake got the complete game win giving up four hits and three runs, one earned, and striking out three.
In the second game of the day, the Lady Spartans faced the Grantsville Cowboys.
Grantsville would jump on the board in the second putting up three. In the bottom of the third, with the Cowboys up 4-0, Jensen came up to the plate sent a grounder to first, and would reach on an error, as Ungerman would score. Two batters later Nielson would hit a sacrifice fly to right that allowed Jensen to cross home putting the score at 4-2 Grantsville.
Things would stay pretty calm in the fourth as the Cowboys added three runs and the Lady Spartans added another bringing the score to 7-3. Emery held Grantsville scoreless in the top of the fifth and the Spartans would have a rally in the bottom half of the inning starting when Ekker sent a single to left scoring Johnson. The next batter up was Nielson and she sent the first pitch she saw to center for a double bringing Ekker home. Madi Bunnell came up sending a single to center driving in Nielson. Elli Stoker hit a pop fly and would reach on an error sending Bunnell home to tie the score at 7-7. The sixth and the seventh innings were about to get crazy.
Grantsville would come out in the top of the sixth, and add two more pushing their lead to 9-7. The Spartans entered into the bottom of the inning, Ekker singled to left field driving in Ungerman and Jensen tying the game up at 9-9. With two outs, Bunnell stepped up to the plate sending a grounder to short bringing Ekker home and giving Emery the 10-9 lead, for a moment.
In the top of the seventh Grantsville exploded for eight runs helped out by Emery who would give up two hit batsmen, two errors, a walk for a run, and a two-run home run giving the Cowboys a 17-10 lead into the bottom of the seventh. The Lady Spartans would add one run in the bottom of the seventh when Jensen would send Minchey home with a single and that would be it as Grantsville handed the 17-11 loss to Emery, their first of the tournament.
Ekker had three hits, scored two runs, and had three RBIs for Emery. Ungerman and Johnson had two hits and two runs scored. Bunnell and Jensen each collected two hits and scored two runs while Bunnell had two RBIs and Jensen had one in the loss.
Emery used three pitchers starting with Lake who went 3.2 innings giving up three hits with five runs and striking out two. Rheagan Rhoten went three and surrendered seven hits nine runs, four earned, and struck out one, and Ekker finished things out with a pair of hits with three runs, two earned.
May 11- State Tournament- North Sanpete
The Emery Lady Spartan softball team has been in Spanish Fork for the 3A State Championships since Thursday. Sporting the No. 1 spot in the RPI, They have been playing just like it making it through day one without a loss. Day two started with a win over Morgan and ended with a loss to Grantsville putting them in the one-loss bracket to face North Sanpete, taking a 4-3 win and advancing to the Championships Round.
In their first game against Region 12 foe Canyon View, Emery claimed the 5-4 victory. Next up was the Morgan Trojans, and the Lady Spartans earned a 9-3 win. In their last game on Friday night they faced the Grantsville Cowboys in a game that went back and forth until the final inning when the Cowboys would erupt for 8 runs handing Emery their first loss 17-11 and dropping them into the one-loss bracket, meaning it was win or go home against North Sanpete.
The contest against North Sanpete was a battle with the Hawks putting up a pair of runs in the first inning, Emery would come back and cut that deficit to 2-1 by the end of the inning. Then things would go quiet for the Spartans until the fifth with the score 3-1 when Kali Jensen hit a grounder to center and reached on an error that allowed Elli Stoker to score from second. Then in the bottom of the sixth with two outs and the bases loaded Tailynn Minchey would earn a walk and bring in Brooklynn Ekker to tie things up at 3-3. Rheagan Rhoten would hit a pop fly and reach on an error that drove Ekker home and gave the Spartans the win 4-3.
Ekker earned a pair of hits and two runs scored for Emery. Kaitlyn Nielson had two hits and an RBI, Jensen had a hit and scored a run and Rhoten collected one hit in the Lady Spartan win.
Kallee Lake got the start for Emery going four innings giving up seven hits, three runs, one earned, and struck out five. Rhoten came in going three surrendering a hit and struck out two.
Emery now gets another shot at Grantsville in the championship game.
May 11- State Championship- Grantsville
After fighting their way back to the Championship game, the Lady Spartan softball squad faced Grantsville once more in the battle for the state title. If they wanted to be crowned champs they had to beat the Cowboys twice, but fell short in the first game 11-8.
Grantsville was the team that handed Emery their first loss of the tournament, sending them to the one-loss bracket where they would have to face the North Sanpete Hawks, and after securing the 4-3 victory, they would move on to the Grantsville Cowboys again.
Emery got things going in the bottom of the second when Katelyn Nielson sent one over the center field wall for a solo shot to give the Spartans a 1-0 lead. Later in the same inning, Kalli Jensen earned a walk that sent Kaitlyn Thomas home. Then the next batter up Shannon Johnson came up to bat and Elli Stilson scored on an error by the catcher, later in the at-bat, Tailynn Minchey scored on a steal of home to put the score at 4-0. In the third, Emery added one more after a sacrifice fly by Rheagan Rhoten that brought in Brooklynn Ekker increasing the Emery lead to 5-1.
Grantsville had regained the lead by the bottom of the sixth 6-5, Minchey smacked a grounder to the shortstop that drove in Madi Bunnell to tie the score at 6-6, and that would be a recurring theme for the remainder of the game. With both teams going scoreless in the seventh extra innings were necessary. In the eighth each team would score one run to tie things at 7-7, then in the top of the ninth the Cowboys got to Emery pitching, putting four runs on the board, the Lady Spartans were able to get one run on the back in the bottom but it wasn’t enough and Granstville closed out Emery as they won their sixth state title in seven years, 11-8.
Bunnell, Ekker, and Nielson had one hit and scored one run, with Bunnell and Nielson adding an RBI each as well for the Spartans. Alexis Ungerman collected two hits in the loss.
Rhoten got the start for Emery going 6.1 innings giving up 11 hits, nine runs, seven earned, and striking out two. Kalle Lake closed things out going 2.2 giving up four hits and one earned run.
The Lady Spartans ended the season at 22-8 and held the No. 1 spot in the final RPI.