| Blake Mortensen makes the out at third base. |
Brett Mecham, a junior at Emery High School, pitched well enough to win but errors by the Emery defense instead allowed Juan Diego to get out of town with the win. Juan Diego defeated Emery in this region 8 contest 4-3. Earlier in the week, Emery lost a non-region game at Gunnison.
In the Juan Diego game, both teams only managed to have four base hits each. Emery was done in by the 8 errors that they committed. All Juan Diego runs were unearned.
Juan Diego’s first run came in the first inning after a routine ball hit back up the middle that was thrown away instead of Emery getting an easy out. One unearned run. Juan Diego’s second run came in the third inning. With two out and two on, the Juan Diego batter hit another easy grounder that was fumbled away on the throw and another unearned run.
In the seventh inning, after two batters for Juan Diego got on base, two consecutive Emery errors allowed two more runs to score and that is two more unearned runs.
Mecham induced ground ball after ground ball in the game and generally kept the Juan Diego batters off stride all game long. He allowed four hits and walked none.
Emery scored three runs in the third inning to lead the game going into the final inning. After a ground out, Brett Mecham singled to get on base. The next batter struck out and then Juan Diego fumbled away two infield hits by Gatlin Huntington and Jordan Gee and Emery had a run in and runners on second and third. Ryne Jones singled to right field to score Huntington and Gee. Emery now led 3-2.
Colby Snow singled in the fourth inning and Giles singled right behind him but was thrown out at second base trying to stretch the single into a double. Giles also doubled in the seventh inning for Emery’s last base hit was not able to score.
Against Gunnison, 2-A’s top-ranked team, Emery found themselves down early and was never able to recover. Gunnison had four base runners in the first inning off Emery starter Skyler Jensen but was able to only score once. Gunnison scored three more times in the third inning after four straight base hits. Gunnison then scored single runs in the fourth inning and also the sixth inning.
For the Spartans, Gatlan Huntington led off the first inning with a single, got to third on a single by Ryne Jones and scored on a ground out by Blake Mortensen. Emery scored again in the fourth inning as Mortensen this time hit a homerun.
Emery’s last run came in the seventh inning. A pitch hit Colby Snow; Nevin Jensen singled him to second base and Snow scored on a ground out by Skyler Jorgensen.
Emery plays at North Sanpete Tuesday afternoon and then closes out the season at Carbon on Thursday afternoon.
Emery is currently in second place with Delta and Carbon close on their heels.