Last Friday the Emery High Lady Spartans played one of their better games of the year as they battled through seven innings to defeat region champion Gunnison Valley 15-12 in high school softball. Earlier in the week these same two teams played, this time in Gunnison, and Gunnison prevailed 8-5. Emery now has one region game remaining on their schedule and that game is this Friday in Castle Dale against the San Juan Broncos.
In the Friday game, Emery scored first as they put runs across the plate in the bottom of the first inning as Morgann Donaldson singled and then scored on a homerun by Bailey Huggard. The Bulldogs responded by scoring three runs in the top of the second inning to claim their first lead of the game. Showing that they possess a little spunk of their own, the Spartans responded with two more runs in the bottom of the inning to reclaim the lead. Adri Childs, Madi Alton, Jayla Weston and Regan Rasmussen all singled to score Alton and Weston.
After neither team scored in the third inning, Gunnison scored five times in the top of the fourth inning and once more in the top of the fifth inning to lead 9-4. In the bottom of fifth, Rasmussen started the inning off with a double batting in the ninth position. After an out, Ambree Bennett got on base due to an error followed by Donaldson hitting a double. The next batter was Huggard and Bailey hit her second homerun of the game and the Spartans had scored four runs of their own to trail 9-8 and they showed that they were not going away.
Gunnison added two runs in the top of the sixth inning to go up 11-8. In the bottom of the sixth inning Weston started things off with a homerun and then Rasmussen walked followed by a single by Abby Healy. Bennett singled, Donaldson got on by way of a Bulldog error and then Huggard hit her third home run of the game. Childs then doubled, Alton walked and Weston scored Childs with a single for the final run of the inning. Emery led 15-11.
In the top of the seventh inning, relief pitcher Braileigh Clark gave up a homerun to the lead-off batter and then walked the next batter. Clark had came into the game in the fourth inning in relief of starter Huggard. The batter on first got to second on a ground out by the next batter but then got thrown out trying to advance to third base. Clark struck out the next batter and the Spartans had finished off the top region team and had won the game.
Huggard led the effort with her three homeruns and on the mound. Weston also had two singles besides the homerun. Donaldson, Childs and Rasmussen all had doubles and Healy, Bennett, Donaldson, Childs, Alton and Rasmussen all hit singles. Emery outhit Gunnison 15-11 and Emery pitching struck out eight batters while only one Spartan struck out.
Gunnison is 7-1 in region with two games left against Piute. Grand is 6-3 followed by Emery at 5-4. North Sevier is 5-5 followed by San Juan at 3-5 and Piute at 0-8. Emery closes out region action this Friday in Castle Dale. The Spartans defeated San Juan two weeks ago in Blanding by the score of 16-10. Emery also will play Carbon this week on Wednesday at the complex in Price. Sophomore game starts at 3 pm followed by the JV game at 5 p.m. and then the varsity game at 7 p.m. Emery will host Juab next Monday in Castle Dale.
Lady Spartans defeat Gunnison
Bailey Huggard hit three home runs against Gunnison at home.