The Emery Spartans are taking a road trip to face off against the Duchesne Eagles at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Emery is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.1 runs per game this season.
Emery fought the good fight in their extra-innings contest against Canyon View on Tuesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Falcons by a score of 8-7. The Spartans' defeat signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.
Kallee Lake spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and five unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up ten Ks. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in nine consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Elli Stoker and Aleeyah Cowley stepped up to the plate in a big way. Stoker went 4-for-5 with three doubles and one RBI, while Cowley went 2-for-4 with one home run. The team also got some help courtesy of Kali Jensen, who went 3-for-5 with one run and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Duchesne had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 17 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Monday. Everything went their way against the Longhorns as they made off with a 14-3 win. The result was nothing new for the Eagles, who have now won 15 games by eight runs or more so far this season.
Kira Grant made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Grant was also big at the plate, going a perfect 4-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and three RBI. That's the most hits she has posted since back in March.
In other batting news, Prezley Farnsworth was excellent, going 1-for-3 with one triple, two RBI, and one run. Another player making a difference was Madi Larsen, who earned three runs and one stolen base.
Duchesne kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in five consecutive matchups.
Duchesne pushed their record up to 17-5 with the victory, which was their fifth straight on the road. The road wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 15.6 runs over those games. As for Emery, their loss dropped their record down to 15-11.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Wednesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Emery has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.9 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Duchesne struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 4.3 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Emery suffered a grim 9-1 defeat to Duchesne when the teams last played last Saturday. Can the Spartans avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
