Preview: Pleasant Grove Vikings vs. Riverton Silverwolves
If the oddsmakers' predictions hold true, the near future looks bright for Pleasant Grove. They will head out on the road to challenge the Riverton Silverwolves at 3:30 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with Pleasant Grove sitting on six straight victories and Riverton on five.
Last Tuesday, Pleasant Grove faced Davis in a battle between two of the state's top teams. Pleasant Grove was the clear victor by a 10-3 margin over Davis. Pleasant Grove might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team's won three matchups by six runs or more this season.
Maya Pawalek spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned runs on eight hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, Brooke Fisher was a standout: she scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of her five plate appearances. Maile Larsen was another key contributor, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with a home run, two runs, and two RBI.
Meanwhile, Riverton made the experts look like fools on Thursday, as the team pulled off a huge upset of Bingham. They blew past the Miners 12-4. Riverton's win was all the more impressive since Bingham was averaging only 3.13 runs allowed on the season.
Peyton Sanchez made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She struck out eight batters over seven innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off seven hits. Sanchez was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI, and a double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Baylee Martinez, who fired off two home runs, three RBI, and a double while going 3-for-4. Another player making a difference was Brooke Tacke, who went 2-for-4 with a home run and a double.
Pleasant Grove pushed their record up to 6-0 with that victory, which was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season. Those victories were due in large part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.8 runs per game. As for Riverton, their record is now 7-1.
Both Pleasant Grove and Riverton just can't seem to miss. Pleasant Grove has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 11 hits per game. However, it's not like Riverton struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 5.1 per game. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Pleasant Grove might still be hurting after the 14-4 loss they got from Riverton when the teams last played back in May of 2023. Can Pleasant Grove avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
