vs
| 04/12/24 - Home | 8-5 W |
| 04/10/24 - Away | 12-8 W |
| 04/09/24 - Home | 13-6 W |
| 05/05/23 - Away | 12-6 W |
| 05/04/23 - Home | 8-2 W |
| + 5 more games |
Pleasant Grove is a perfect 10-0 against Westlake since May of 2021 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Tuesday. The Vikings will challenge the Thunder at 3:30 p.m. Pleasant Grove will be looking to extend their current 11-game winning streak.
Pleasant Grove is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Utah's top teams: Skyridge, who was ranked 11th at the time (Pleasant Grove was ranked first). The Vikings put the hurt on the Falcons with a sharp 13-3 victory on Friday. The Vikings' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Van Haynie looked comfortable as he tossed three innings while giving up three earned runs off only two hits.
At the plate, Pleasant Grove let R.J. Wilson and Brad Farrer run wild. Wilson went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, one triple, and two RBI, while Farrer went a perfect 1-for-1 with one home run and three RBI. That's the most hits Wilson has posted since back in May of 2024. Another player making a difference was Drew Smith, who scored three runs while going 1-for-4.
Meanwhile, Westlake hadn't done well against Lehi recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. The Thunder sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 5-3 win over the Pioneers. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Thunder as it put an end to their six-game losing streak.
Westlake's win was truly a team effort as eight different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Andrew Hernandez, who scored a run while going 2-for-4. Kade Daniels was another, scoring a run while going 1-for-4.
Pleasant Grove pushed their record up to 12-1 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.3 runs over those games. As for Westlake, their victory was their first in the region, bumping their region record up to 1-2 and their overall record up to 5-8.
Tuesday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Pleasant Grove hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .356. However, it's not like Westlake struggles in that department as they've averaged .326. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Pleasant Grove was able to grind out a solid win over Westlake when the teams last played back in April of 2024, winning 8-5. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Vikings since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
