| Tyrel Bennett stretches for the out at first. |
The Emery High Spartans opened the state 3-A baseball play-offs with two games last Saturday at Pine View High School in St. George. Emery defeated the Granite Farmers 7-6 in their first game and then lost to the nightcap 4-1 to the heavily favored hometown Panthers.
Chandler Pearson opened on the mound for the Spartans against the Farmers and came away with the victory. Pearson gave up five hits and struck out eight in the win.
Granite scored first in the top of the second inning as four walks scored one run. Emery came right back and scored four times in the bottom of the second to take a lead that they would never relinquish.
Tyrel Bennett got hit by a pitch, Landon Watson walked, Conley Luke walked and then Chandler Tanner drove two runners home with a double. Kadin Wilson followed with another double as he also picked up a pair of RBI’s and Emery now lead 4-1.
Emery gave up three runs in the fifth and two more in the seventh. Emery picked up another run in the fourth inning as Luke scored again. Conley got aboard due to a Granite error, stole second base, another error put him at third base and then a wild pitch allowed him to score.
Bennett and Watson scored again in the fifth inning as Garrett Swenson and Tanner each had an RBI.
Bowie Jeffs pitched the second game and allowed four runs, nine hits, two walks and two strikeouts.
Pineview, who was 20-1 at game time, scored four times in the second inning. After two Panthers got on base, Jeffs struck out two batters and had the #9 batter at 0-2 before he gave up a 3-run homerun. Pineview added another in the inning but then never came close to scoring again.
Emery’s only run came in the fifth inning as Swenson singled, Tanner doubled and Wilson picked up the RBI on a ground out. Emery only had six hits in the game but four of them were doubles. In addition to Tanner, Wilson led off the game with a double and Brady Larsen added two more.
The 3-A playoffs continue this week at fields in the Ogden area. Emery will play Cedar City at Fremont High School at 11 a.m. Cedar is 11-10 for the season while the Spartans are 10-12. The winner will play the North Sanpete -Tooele winner at 4:30 p.m. at Lindquist Field.