Softball Game Preview: Mountain Crest Mustangs vs. Payson Lions

For the second straight game, Mountain Crest will face off against Payson. The Mustangs will take on the Lions at 1:00 p.m. on Friday. Mountain Crest is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.2 runs per game this season.

Mountain Crest heads in on the heels of a playoff contest on Thursday. They took a 9-4 hit to the loss column at the hands of Payson. The Mustangs' loss signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.

For Payson's part, Peyton Staheli spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned runs on four hits and racked up 16 Ks. Staheli has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in ten consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, Payson got a massive performance out of Mahaila Buys, who went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. That's the most stolen bases Buys has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Aydrie Christensen, who went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run.

Payson was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .469. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Mountain Crest only posted a batting average of .167.

Payson has been performing well recently as they've won seven of their last nine matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 20-6 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.3 runs on average over those games. As for Mountain Crest, their defeat dropped their record down to 11-17.