The season opener took place on Wednesday afternoon as the Spartans took on Providence Hall. After a year without games, Emery showed some rust in the early going, allowing the Patriots to grab a 1-0 lead.
Providence Hall then loaded the bases in the second inning with one out when Oakley Alton got a called strike three and Ty Stilson caught the runner on third napping for an inning-ending double play. That kept the score at 1-0 and swung the momentum toward Emery’s dugout.
Alton followed that up with three straight 1-2-3 innings, dominating on the mound. The Spartans took advantage in the bottom of the third with three runs to take the lead.
Emery added one more run in the fourth when Jax Madsen brought home Gannon Ward to make it 4-1. Alton continued to hit his spots to pick up the win.
Alton pitched six innings and gave up just three hits and two walks while allowing one run (unearned) and striking out three. The most impressive part of his outing was his efficiency. He only needed 66 pitches to get through six innings, 42 of which were strikes. Kove Johansen came on in the seventh to close out the game and record the save.
Up next, the Spartans (1-0) will play North Sanpete on Thursday and American Leadership Academy on Friday, both on the road.
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- Photos by Dusty Butler
