| Jordan Gee puts the tag on the Union runner. The base umpire calls the runner safe, but the plate umpire overrules the call and the runner is out. |
The Emery Spartans closed out their pre-season baseball schedule by splitting two games last week. On Tuesday, Emery traveled to Vernal and lost to the Uintah Utes 15-7 and then hosted the Union Cougars on Friday and snuck away with a 5-4 victory. Emery closes out the preseason with an 8-2 record.
Against the Union Cougars, Emery avenged an earlier loss of the season at the Moab tournament. With Kyler Edgehouse on the mound, the Spartans allowed 4 runs on 8 hits. Edgehouse struck out 11 Cougar batters and gave up only 2 walks in the game.
Union got their first run in the second inning as a lead-off single was brought around to score as the Cougars got two more hits and a walk in the inning. The last three Cougar runs came in the fourth inning as the first three batters got base hits and all eventually scored.
Emery scored 2 runs in the first inning as Ryan Draper and Dave Justice each walked and Edgehouse hit a triple to bring them home. Over the next four innings, Emery was able to do nothing against the Cougar pitching staff except pick up 3 walks. In the sixth inning, Ryne Jones got on base due to a Cougar error, got to second base as Blake Mortensen walked, got to third base as Steve Giles walked and then scored as Kesler Tanner picked up the rbi.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Draper struck out and then Justice and Edgehouse each got on base because of a Cougar error. Ryne Jones and Mortensen each then got a single and Justice and Edgehouse scored to give Emery the win.
After Emery had been hitting the ball so well, sometimes the odds are just with you that things will go your way and in the Union game, Emery took advantage of Cougar mistakes to claim the win.
At Uintah, each team scored once in the first inning. Uintah scored four times in the second inning to take a 5-1 lead. Neither team scored in the third inning. Emery had a good fourth inning as they scored 5 runs to claim the lead at 6-5 but it was short lived as Uintah came right back with 4 runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. Uintah then scored 3 runs in each of the fourth and sixth innings while Emery was able to only score once more in the sixth inning.
Edgehouse and Giles each hit a homerun in the game and AJ Mitcheson and Riley Spears each had a double. Emery was able to garner 10 hits but 4 team errors assisted Uintah in their scoring.
Emery now hosts Carbon this Friday afternoon as region play begins. Game time is 3:30 p.m.