Spartan teams split region games

By GARY ARRINGTON Sports writer

Last week, the Emery High Lady Spartan softball team split two games in region 12 action. Emery got beat decisively at Manti 14-4 as they committed nine errors in the ball game on Tuesday. On Friday, Emery defeated Juab 18-11 while committing just one error.
Emery, kind of a Jekyl and Hyde character so far this season, can be a pretty good team when they do not shoot themselves in the foot. So far this season it seems they have aided and abetted their opponent more than their opponent has actually beaten them. I guess this is what you call growing pains. As has been said before, this Emery team is really young but this team has some really quality players on it.
Emery got off to a good start against Manti, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning. Makia Sherman led off the Emery effort with a double. After two Emery batters got out, a pitch hit Whitney Roper, Markette Tanner doubled and Bryton Hess walked. Shelby Mason then doubled to left field. Jeridi Price then hit a ball hard to left field, the hardest hit of the inning probably, but right at the left fielder and she made a good catch to end the inning.
The Emery defense was good the first inning but after that Manti was able to score in every inning. Manti scored 14 runs during the next four innings to win at home. Emery’s only other score came in the fifth inning. Tanner singled, Hess walked and Tanner scored on a base hit off the bat of Jo Jennings.
Emery returned home to defeat Juab. Emery led 1-0 after the first inning, 6-4 after the second inning, 15-4 after the third and fourth innings, 16-11 after the fifth inning and 18-11 after the sixth inning and at the end of the game.
In the fifth inning when Juab scored the bulk of their runs, it seems like sometimes luck is just on the side of Emery’s opponents. Their hits were not hard hits but just out of the reach of the Spartan gloves or just a half step away or something to that effect.
Emery scored a run in the first inning as Sherman led off with a single and then scored when three Emery batters got on base due to either a walk or by being hit by a pitch.
In the second inning, after a strikeout, Jennings walked, Sherman had her second hit of the game and then an Emery batter grounded out. With two out and two on base, Tanner doubled to left field and then Jaiden Huntington tripled. Roper, for the second time last week, got hit by another pitch and all would score before Mason got out to end the inning.
In the third inning, Price walked, Jennings singled, Sherman singled again, Auminee Bennett got hit, Tanner had her second double of the game, Huntington singled, Hess flew out to centerfield, Mason got on due to an error and then Price walked for the second time in the inning. Jennings then doubled and Jo would be the last Emery runner to score in the inning. Sherman doubled for her fourth straight hit to score Jennings.
Sherman would score in the fifth inning with Hess and Jennings scoring in the sixth inning for Emery’s last two runs.
In this game, Emery had four doubles and a triple. Sherman, batting leadoff for the Spartans, went five for six at the plate. Jennings, batting ninth in the line-up, went four for four in the game and also had a walk. Emery finished the game with 14 base hits and these two had nine of them. Each also had a double and both scored four runs in the game.
Emery plays three games this week. Emery will host North Sanpete on Tuesday, travel to Carbon on Wednesday and then travel to Delta on Friday. Varsity games start at 3:30 p.m.