The Spartans had a very challenging week from the moment the schedule came out. First, they had to open region play on the road, next they had to play the 2-A state champion from last season who just happened to have all their best players back including their pitcher and finally, Emery had to travel to Payson to participate in a round-robin tournament loaded with 4-A and 5-A teams.
Emery opened region play with a victory over the host Richfield Wildcats. Emery scored first in the game.In the fourth inning, Whitney Roper singled to right and then stole second base. Shelby Mason followed with a double to right and Emery led 1-0.
Richfield took their only lead of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning. Two singles, two walks and a double scored two runs and the Wildcats led 2-1.
In the top of the sixth inning, Emery regained the lead by scoring two runs. Roper led off the inning by hitting a triple to right field. Mason scored the run with a hard hit to the shortstop for an out. Jeridi Price walked and then virtually stole her way around the infield and scored the go-ahead run
In the seventh inning, Emery added two insurance runs in the 5-2 win. Markette Tanner singled, Jaiden Huntington walked and both stole a base. Bryton Hess then got on base and the first two scored.
In an earlier game in the week, Grand came to town and defeated Emery 8-3 in a preseason game. Makiah Sherman tripled and Tanner singled for Emery’s first run. The other two Emery runs came after a walk to Roper, a single by Hess, another by Price and the last by Auminee Bennett. Emery was done in by the four errors they committed in the game.
At Payson on Saturday, teams from Provo, Brighton, Cyprus, Lehi, West Lake, Stansbury, Uintah and Payson were there. Emery lost three of four games they played but all the game were close. In each game they played, they were always close but the Spartans helped out their opponent with mistakes and errors as the young team continues learning on the field.
Coach Beau Stoker after the games were over told his team “we might have lost today but nobody beat us but ourselves. We made progress today and we will be a good team. These games mean nothing, they are just for practice. We will be alright.”
Emery plays two region games this week, first they travel to Manti on Tuesday and then they host Juab on Friday at 3:30 p.m.
Lady Spartans softball defeats Richfield
"Whitney Roper pitches for Emery."