The Grand County High School softball team came from behind to defeat the Emery Lady Spartans 11-6 at Moab last Friday, April 19.
Emery came out strong in the top of the first inning, with the first four Spartan batters in the lineup hitting three doubles and a home run. But pitcher Donna Snow and her fellow Lady Devils minimized the damage from that point, limiting Emery to three runs in the first inning.
In the bottom of the first, Grand managed to get two runs on the board to narrow the deficit to 3-2. Those runs came thanks to a hit by Brianna Ballard that scored teammates Amanda Sheets and Morgan Dalton.
The Lady Devils then scored one run in each of the next three innings to overtake Emery and begin building a lead.
“Our nerves got the best of us at the beginning of the game, but once we settled down and started to play, things went well for us,” said GCHS head coach Stephanie Cluff.
Grand batted around the lineup during a six-run fifth inning that extended the Lady Devils’ lead to 11-4. Emery scored two more runs in the final inning, but Snow ended up going the distance on the mound and picked up the pitching victory.
The Lady Devils’ final region game was scheduled to take place against region-leading San Juan at Blanding on Tuesday, April 23.
“If we beat San Juan, we’ll finish in second place in the region,” Cluff said. “If San Juan wins, we may have to have a coin flip with Richfield to see who the No. 2 seed will be.”
The Lady Devils recognized their seven senior players before the Emery game, which marked the seniors’ final home game. Grand’s senior players are: Morgan Dalton, Donna Snow, Brianna Ballard, Linda Minor, Torrie Lopez, Amanda Sheets, and Madie Camps.
This coming weekend, April 26-27, the Lady Devils are scheduled to participate in the Swing for Life tournament in Salt Lake City. The event is a fundraiser for the Huntsman Cancer Institute.
The 2A state tournament will take place May 9-11 at Spanish Fork.