Juab has enjoyed a four-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will face off against the Emery Spartans at 3:30 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in Juab's favor is that they have posted big run totals in their last five matchups.
Juab had a rough season last year, but they look ready to turn that poor record around this year. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past Richfield 11-9.
Dusti Draper and Rylee Sperry did most of the damage at the plate: Draper went 2-for-5 with a triple, a stolen base, and two RBI, while Sperry scored two runs while going 3-for-4. Livia Topham was another key contributor, scoring two runs while going 2-for-5.
Meanwhile, Emery faced Duchesne in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Wednesday. Emery was the clear victor by an 8-2 margin over Duchesne. The win was familiar territory for Emery who now have three in a row.
Rheagan Rhoten spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just zero earned (and two unearned) runs on zero hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't pitched less than six innings in three consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, Emery got a massive performance out of Shannon Johnson, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-4. Another player making a difference was Madi Bunnell, who went 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs, and two RBI.
Juab pushed their record up to 9-0 with that victory, which was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season. Those good results were due in large part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.8 runs per game. As for Emery, their win bumped their record up to 7-1.
Friday's contest will be a test for both team's pitchers. Juab hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .542. However, it's not like Emery struggles in that department as they've averaged .336. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Juab was able to grind out a solid victory over Emery in their previous matchup back in March of 2022, winning 14-11. The rematch might be a little tougher for Juab since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
