A win in the first round of the 3A State Softball Tournament kept the Lady Spartans in the winners bracket to start the final weekend of games last week.
#6 Emery had a tough matchup on Thursday when the Spartans played #3 Grantsville. The Lady Cowboys got off to a hot start and went up 9-0 after three innings. Emery began to battle back but the deficit proved too great. The Spartans cut it to 9-7 after Janessa Westons’ two-run home run, but Grantsville scored one more to win the contest 10-7.
Emery’s two errors were costly as only seven Cowboy runs were earned. Weston led the team with four RBIs while Aspen Taylor pitched a great game in relief. She gave Emery a chance, pitching three and 1/3 innings of three-hit ball while only surrendering one run.
The loss sent Emery into the losers bracket to face #12 Delta in what would turn out to be a lopsided affair. Emery scored 13 runs off of 11 hits while the Rabbits committed seven errors. Emery scored in every inning but the first and walked it off in the sixth, 13-3.
Taleigh Price homered in the game and led the team with three RBIs. Taylor continued to pitch well and did not give up a run through four innings, while striking out eight. Madison Childs came in as relief and did not give up an earned run.
The busy Thursday ended with a match against #9 Juab. It was a close game where Juab grabbed the lead, 1-0, on a passed ball. The Lady Spartans struggled on the offensive end and trailed the majority of the game. With the same score in the sixth, Tylee Norton singled with one out.
Two batters later, Price hit a clutch, two-out home run to put Emery on top 2-1. Cambrie Jensen started in the circle and was excellent. She completed the game in the seventh to pick up the win and advance the Lady Spartans to Friday.
Emery then had to take on #5 Grand. Another slow start put the Lady Spartans behind the eight ball. The Lady Red Devils scored two runs in the first and four in the second to take a 6-0 lead.
Although Emery had eight hits in the contest, seven were singles and the Lady Spartans struggled with runners on base. Grand took the game 7-1 and knocked Emery out of the tournament. Taylor again pitched well in relief, going four innings while only giving up one run.
The Lady Spartans’ season came to a close with a 18-11-1 record.