The Emery Spartans opened the baseball season on the road at the Kanab Tournament. Starting on Thursday, the Spartans ended on a high note with a big win over Summit Academy. Emery finished the weekend 1-3.
Emery started off tournament play with a loss to Providence Hall, then on Friday fell to the Morgan Trojans, had to turn around and face Gunnison that afternoon, and closed out the weekend on Saturday, taking on the Summit Academy Bears.
The contest with Gunnison Valley was close, but the Bulldogs would blow it open towards the end, and a fifth-inning rally for the Spartans came up short as they fell 11-7.
Gunnison came out the top of the first, putting up a couple of runs to take a 2-0 lead going into the bottom of the inning, so in the Spartans’ at bat, Peyton Nielson sent a grounder to 3rd to get on base. The next batter up was Trygg Jensen, who sent a ground ball to the first baseman, where he reached on an error, and Nielsen would score. With two outs, Easton Stoker came up and sent a line drive single to center field that drove Jensen in to tie up Gunnison 2-2 going into the second. In the top half of the second inning, the Bulldogs would add four runs to take a 6-2 lead. When Emery came up in the bottom half of the inning, Drake Stilson would hit a single to center field to get on first, then with two outs left in the inning, Beau Stilson would single to center field, driving in Drake Stilson to cut into the lead at 6-3.
Over the next two innings, Gunnison added five more runs while holding the Spartans off the board to take an 11-3 lead going into the bottom of the 5th. Starting off the inning, Nielson took the first pitch he saw to right field for a triple. Jensen came up to the plate next and was hit by a pitch, and the next batter up, Tyce Larsen, was also hit by a pitch. During his at-bat, Nielsen would steal home to get the Spartans an extra run, cutting the lead to 11-4. Stoker came up and was hit by a pitch as well. In the next at-bat, Mason Thornley sent a single to right field, and Jensen would score. Drake Stilson sent a single to left, bringing home Jesse Simmons. With one out, Bodee Norton came up to the plate, and Trevin Thorne, who had entered the game as a courtesy runner for Stoker, would score on a passed ball, but that would bring an end to the Spartans’ rally as they came up short 11-7.
Drake Stilson went 3-3 in the game, scoring one run and adding an RBI. Nielsen was 2-3 with two runs scored. Thornley and Stoker each went 1-2 with an RBI. Beau Stilson went 1-4 with one RBI in the loss.
Ben Johansen got the start on the mound for the Spartans, taking the loss, going 1.1 innings, allowing six runs, two earned on two hits, and striking out two. Thornley put in two innings of work, giving up five runs, two earned, on one hit, with one strikeout, and Norton closed out the contest, giving up two hits.
After suffering two losses on Friday, the Spartans looked to turn things around on Saturday against the Summit Academy Bears. Emery put up 10 runs in the first two innings and then kept the Bears at bay to take a 17-12 win.
With one out, Nielson came up to the plate and worked his way into a walk to get on base for the Spartans. Jensen came up and sent one to the shortstop. With two outs, Thornley would work his way to first with a walk, loading the bases. Stoker would come up next, sending a double to the left fielder, emptying the bases to put the Spartans up 3-0 headed into the bottom half of the inning.
After Summit Academy came out in the bottom of the first, adding two runs, it was Emery’s turn once again to put up some runs.
Things started quietly for the Spartans, with one on and one out. Nielson came up to the plate, sending a single to left, driving in Johansen. Emery would put together a rally with two outs, Thornley hit another single, reaching on an error, driving in Nielson and Norton to take a 6-2 lead. Stoker sent a grounder to third driving in Brogan Ward, the next batter up was Drake Stilson who was hit by a pitch that loaded the bases. Jess Larsen stepped into the batter’s box and sent one to deep left for a base clearing triple to give Emery the 10-2 lead. The Bears added a pair of runs in the bottom of the second and Emery would answer back gettinga score in the third putting the Spartan lead at 11-4. Summit Academy came back in the bottom of the inning to add four more runs to cut the Emery lead to 11-8. The Spartans had some offense left in the tank headed to the top of the fourth.
With one out, Jess Larsen would double to left to bring Stoker home, Norton came to the plate next and put down a bunt to bring home Johansen. After back-to-back batters being hit by a pitch the bases were loaded and Jensen stepped up to the plate drawing a walk to drive in Norton. Tyce Larsen come to the plate next sending a sacrafice fly to center bring home Beau Stilson. Thornley stepped into the box with two outs and sent his first pitch to left driving in Peyton Nielson and Jensen to cap the Spartans score at 17-8.
The Bears came out and put a scare in Emery adding four more runs but as the Spartans retired the side they earned their first win of the season 17-12.
Jess Larsen had a day going 3-4 with four RBIs. Stoker was 2-2 with a pair of runs scored and four RBIs. Thornley went 1-3, with two runs scored and two RBIs and Jensen was 1-3 with two runs scored and an RBI. Peyton Nielson went 1-1 with three runs scored and two RBIs. Beau Stilson and Norton each scored two runs, and Drake Stilson scored one. Tyce Larsen collected an RBI in the win.