Emery Softball

By GARY ARRINGTON Sports writer

Last week, the Emery Lady Spartans struggled a little on the softball field. On Tuesday, Emery lost a game they should have won, on Wednesday they won a game they should have won and on Friday they lost to a team they defeated earlier in the season. Juab defeated Emery 5-2 on Tuesday, Emery defeated North Sevier 17-2 on Wednesday and North Sanpete got revenge in defeating Emery 14-2 on Friday. Tuesday, at home against region foe Juab, Emery minus an error and plus an inch and the game would have been an Emery win instead of an Emery loss. The two teams battled through six innings to a 2-2 tie only to see Juab score three in the top of the seventh to take the lead and eventually earn the win.
Juab scored first in the game. In the first inning, Juab had two base hits that eventually turned into runs. No other Juab batters got on base in the inning. Emery then held Juab scoreless for the next five innings.
Emery scored their first run in the bottom of the first inning. Markette Tanner singled to left field and the Gabby Guymon singled to center field and Tanner scored as the centerfielder bobbled the ball. Emery scored their second run in the third inning. Tanner walked to get on base, advanced to second on a bunt by Guymon and scored on a double by Mackenzie Grange.
Emery almost added another run in the fifth inning. After two Emery batters got out, Guymon hit a ball off the top of the outfield fence. Another inch of height and it is a homerun but instead it turned into a double and the third Emery out of the inning occurred with Guymon still on second base.
In the seventh inning, the first two Juab batters grounded out and the third hit a ground ball to Emery’s shortstop that was fielded but the throw was into the dirt and not scooped by the first baseman and from there we had a double and another Emery error by the right fielder and three runs were in. Emery loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning but a pop up to the second baseman ended the inning and the game.
On Wednesday, Emery scored at will throughout the game. Emery scored three runs in the first inning, four more runs in the second inning, seven more runs in the third inning and four more runs in the fifth inning.
In the first inning, Tanner walked, Guymon singled, Grange flew out, Michelle Oliver walked and Whitney Roper walked. The first three would score with Roper advancing to third base mostly on wild pitches. It was a wet day in Salina. In the next inning, Makiah Sherman singled, Tanner singled, Guymon walked, Grange singled, Oliver singled and Roper singled and four runs were in. Shelby Mason hit a deep fly to centerfield that got held up enough by the wind to stay in play and was caught for the third out. On a windless day, that ball may have cleared the second fence.
In the third inning, Danavin Reed singled, Abbie Kay walked, Sherman singled, Tanner flew out, Guymon walked, Grange walked, Oliver singled, Roper laid down a sacrifice bunt and advanced the runners and Mason then doubled to left field.
In the fifth inning, Oliver singled, Roper doubled, Mason singled, Reed singled and Kay doubled.
Against North Sanpete, the Hawks scored in every inning of the game as they soundly defeated Emery. North Sanpete finished third in last season’s state tournament and they believe they can win it this season after losing just one started off that team.
Emery countered with a home run by Roper in the third inning and a score by Grange in the fourth inning after Mackenzie had singled. Emery had four hits in the game. Emery now travels to Delta this Friday afternoon for their lone game of the week. Emery is 3-5 in region play.