The Emery Lady Spartans had a jam-packed weekend on the diamond. On Friday, they faced the Juab Wasps in a doubleheader in Castle Dale, winning in both contests. Then, on Saturday, they traveled for the Payson Tournament, taking on four teams from different classifications across the state, finishing the day 1-3.
The Spartans are 12-10 overall and 8-1 in Region 12, which places them second. They are also No. 6 in the latest RPI with six games left in the season.
On Friday, the Lady Spartans welcomed the Wasps from Juab to Castle Dale for a doubleheader rescheduled due to weather in March. Emery won both games, taking the first 11-0 and 5-0 in game two.
In the opening contest, Elli Stoker started the scoring in the third when she sent a home run ball over the left field wall, bringing Elly Stilson home to make the score 2-0. The Lady Spartans found offense again in the sixth inning; Bailey Luke started things with a single. Next up was Aleeyah Cowley, who sent a grounder to short, reaching second base on an error, and driving in Luke. Tailynn Minchey hit a fly ball to right, reaching base on an error and bringing home Cowley, and Kaitlyn Thomas to push the score to 7-0. Three batters later and with one out, Kallee Lake hit a grounder that gave both Minchey and Stilson the chance to score. Kali Jensen came to the plate next, and during the at-bat, Hadley Larsen and Morgan Tuttle each scored on an error to put the score to 11-0. Emery would get the Wasps to go three up and three down in the bottom of the sixth to close out and take the win.
Stoker went 3-4 with three RBIs, Katelyn Nielson was 2-4 with an RBI, and Lake went 1-4 with a pair of RBIs in the win.
Lake got the complete game win with no runs and no hits, striking out six.
Emery won 5-0 in the second game of the doubleheader. There are no stats available at this time.
In Saturday’s opening game of the Payson Tournament, the Spartans faced the Desert Hills Thunder, the No. 2 team in 4A. Emery’s rally attempt in the bottom of the fifth wasn’t enough as the Thunder would take the win, 13- 6.
Desert Hills had a 6-0 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth when Nielson came to the plate with one out and got the count to 2-2 when Emery pulled off a double steal as Larsen went to second and Stilson would steal home getting the Lady Spartans on the board 6-1. Larsen would score on a fielder’s choice, closing the gap to 6-2.
Desert Hills added seven runs in the top of the fifth to go up 13-2 heading to the bottom of the frame. Minchey sent one to short, and Hadley Grimm would score. One batter later, Stoker would step in and send a double to left bringing home Minchey and Stilson to move the score to 13-5. Emery would add one more run to get the score to 13-6, and that would be where the game would end, with the Spartans taking the loss.
Jensen was 3-3 in the game for Emery. Stoker went 1-2 with two RBIs, and Minchey was 1-3 with a run and an RBI in the loss. Lake got the start, going 4.1 innings, giving up nine runs, five earned, on 10 hits, and striking out three. Allison Jeffs came in to close the game and gave up four earned runs on four hits.
Next was a contest with American Fork, the No. 12 team in 6A. The Spartans collected 17 hits and the win in a game that became a rout, 18-7.
In the first, it looked like the Cavemen would walk away with this one as they took a 6-2 lead after one, but Emery shut them down, allowing just one more run in the contest.
The fourth inning was electric as Emery would collect two two-run homers to put some distance between them and American Fork. Nielson stepped up and took the first pitch she looked at over the right field wall, bringing in Stoker. Three batters later, Cowley dug in and once again hit a first-pitch home run over the wall in center, bringing Jensen home and putting the score at 12-7.
In the top of the fifth, with the score still 12-7, Nielson smacked a ground ball hard to right, driving in Minchey and Stilson. Jensen stepped in with one out, and during her at-bat, Larsen scored on a wild pitch, and then Nielson scored on a ground ball to center. One batter later, with Cowley back at the plate, she sent a ground ball to center and drove in Jensen and Luke to push the score to 18-7. The Spartans would retire the side in the bottom of the frame to take the win.
Cowley had a big game, going 3-4 with five RBIs and two runs scored. Nielson would also collect a five-RBI game, going 1-4 with two runs, and Stoker was 4-4 with a run and an RBI.
Lake got the complete game, giving up seven runs, six earned, on seven hits and striking out five.
The next game was against the Spanish Fork Dons, the No. 11 team in 5A. Runs were at a premium in this one, as the game came down to one run; Spanish Fork earned the 1-0 win.
Emery held the Dons scoreless until the bottom of the fifth when they scored on an error. Emery had a chance in the top of the sixth, but Larsen was caught stealing, and the inning ended on a Nielson strikeout.
The Lady Spartans collected hits from Minchey, Stoker, Cowley, and Thomas.
Lake got the start, surrendering one run on three hits and striking out one.
The final game of the weekend was against the Duchesene Eagles, the No.2 team in 2A. Once again, the Spartans struggled at the plate, collecting only five hits and falling to Duchesne 10-1.
The Eagles took the lead in the second, putting a pair of runs on the board. Emery’s lone run would come from Nielson’s bat as she sent a fly ball double to center, allowing Larsen to go home and cutting Duchesene’s lead in half at 2-1. The Eagles would add six in the fourth and two more in the fifth for the 10-1 win.
Stoker went 2-2 and Nielson was 2-2 with an RBI.
Jeffs got the start, giving up seven runs, six earned on 11 hits.
Emery will travel to Delta on Tuesday to face the Rabbits. Back in March, the Lady Spartans blanked the Rabbits 10-0.