Down seven runs after just two innings, the Emery Spartan baseball team might have considered allowing their opponents to make quick work of the game by taking advantage of the 10-run mercy rule, but they did not. Instead, they slowly chipped away at the Union Cougar’s lead, and then thrilled the crowd with a walk-off style win.
“We didn’t play well at the start,” admitted Head Coach Steven Gordon, “but we kept hanging in there.” Though he wasn’t thrilled with the way the team played overall, he granted that it made for an exciting game, and could give the team valuable experience. “It’s good to get some of those early in the year,” he said.
The game was the first live broadcast of the young season by local station ETV 10, and the team thrilled both the fans at the ball park and those who watched the game live on television.
В
Union took advantage of sub-par play by the Spartans in the first two innings of the game, quickly taking a lead with three runs in the first inning, and four in the second. Emery took over from there, using a combination of solid pitching by Geren Payne, good hitting, smart base running, patience, determination and yet another home run by slugger Kash Jewkes to make their way back into the game, bringing the score within two points at 5-7 after the fifth inning.
Neither team scored in the sixth, and after holding the Cougars scoreless in their final at-bat, Emery combined a two-run RBI by Nathan Mecham, and a walk-off hit by Tappen Draper to win the game 8-7.
The win brought Emery’s preseason record to 5-2. The Spartans will next face their rival Carbon on Tuesday, March 29. That game will also be broadcast live by ETV 10. You can watch the local channel by getting television service through Emery Telcom.
В