| Safe at home. |
It was a week of softball that left Coach Kelly Alton dumbfounded, confused or just plain scratching his head. “We are a better team with better players than what is showing up on game day. We have only three games left in the season but we have the potential to be much better than this.”
On a cold, blustery Tuesday afternoon at home against Lehi, Emery got blown out by one of the best teams in the state 20-0. On Thursday, Emery lost at home to North Sanpete 8-1.
Against Lehi, the Spartans did not have a good day. When playing a good team, you have to do your best to stay with them. Three first inning errors that allowed Lehi to go up 4-0 and the weather conditions seemed to suck the life out of Emery right from the beginning.
Walks to Misha Addley in the first inning and Haylie Hansen in the third inning and a ball hit of the left fielders glove by Leslie Lake in the fifth inning were the only bases reached by the Spartans.
Against the Hawks, Coach Alton watched his team improve “We played them better today than we did over there, our bats made contact today. We hit the ball hard.”
After three scoreless innings, North Sanpete scored five times in the fourth inning to take control of the game. North Sanpete also scored three more times in the fifth inning.
Emery’s only run came in the bottom of the seventh inning with two out and a full count of 3 balls and 2 strikes on pinch hitter Carly Anderson.
She hit the next pitch over the right center field fence for a homerun.
“We hit at them, and they hit holes,” said Alton after the game to his players, “we made plays today where we didn’t against Lehi. You ladies stepped it up today over last time.”
Emery now has three games left before state playoffs. It looks like they will finish fourth in region play and will travel north for the playoffs.