The Emery High baseball team began the defense of their 2013 2-A baseball title with a pair of wins last week over a couple of Sanpete County teams. After sweeping through the state tournament last season, Emery High defeated Gunnison 8-2 and Manti 9-1 on the road to begin their 2014 schedule.
On Tuesday in Gunnison, Brayden Burke and Ethan Tuttle were the pitchers of record in holding the Bulldogs to three base hits and a pair of first inning runs. Emery, possessing a potent line-up from leadoff to the ninth spot, scored six runs in the first inning and garnered base hits from eight of the batters enroute to starting off the season on a positive note.
In that first inning, Ridge Nielson singled to start the game. Tuttle followed with a double and Tyson Roper followed with another double and Emery had their first run of the season. Gavin McDermott singled and Marco Mota walked before Drexler Tanner flew out to right field for the Spartans first out of the season.
Burke singled, Mark Debry got on base due a Gunnison error, Tanner Lake flew out to center before Ridge walked as he batted for the second time in the inning. Tuttle ground out to end the six-run inning.
Lake scored in the fourth inning after getting on base due to an error and Tanner scored in the fifth inning after receiving a base on balls. Emery finished with nine base hits including doubles by Tuttle and Roper. Nielson, McDermott, Burke and Lake each had two hits in the game.
The next day at Manti, Dillon Wilstead was the starting pitcher with Roper and Nielson pitching in relief and the three limited Manti to a single run and five base hits. The single run came on a homerun in the fifth inning. Emery pitchers struck out 11 batters.
Emery had a walk and a base hit in the first inning by Tuttle and Roper but nothing in innings two, three and four. In inning five, Drexler singled to start the inning, Burke, Wilstead, Lake and Nielson all followed with base hits and all would eventually score. After Tuttle flew out to centerfield, Roper got on base and McDermott followed with a triple to clear the bases.
Emery added three insurance runs in the sixth inning to pad the final score. Lake singled followed by Nielson doubling and Tuttle singling to score a pair of runs. Tuttle scored on a Mota single.
Emery will jump right into region action this week with a game against South Sevier in Monroe on Wednesday. Emery will play in the Montrose tournament over the weekend.
Spring sports begin in Emery County
"Emery softball players congratulate Gentry Noyes on her home run hit."