The Payson Lions will head out on the road to face off against the Ogden Tigers at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Ogden took a loss in their last matchup and will be looking to turn the tables on Payson, who comes in off a win.
Payson is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They blew past American Leadership Academy 15-0 on Monday. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Lions considering their two-run performance the game before.
Ruger Braithwaite
| 04/14/25 vs American Leadership Academy | 6 |
| 03/22/25 vs Juan Diego Catholic | 4 |
| 04/11/25 @ Uintah | 2 |
| 03/11/25 @ Timpview | 1 |
| 03/04/25 vs Springville | 1 |
Ruger Braithwaite was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out six over four innings pitched. Those six strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in all four of his plate appearances with three RBI and two runs. He has become a key player for Payson: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 3-13 otherwise.
In other batting news, Maddux DeGraffenried was incredible, going a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI, two runs, and one double. That's the most runs he has posted since back in May of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Brandon Ruiz, who went 1-for-3 with three runs, one stolen base, and one double.
Payson always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .656. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Ogden was not able to break out of their rough patch on Thursday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They came up short against Grantsville, falling 11-4.
Ogden saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Rodrigo Torres, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double. Denver Rhodes also deserves some recognition as he scored his first run of the season.
Ogden's defeat dropped their record down to 2-17. As for Payson, they moved to 6-13 with that victory, which also ended their five-game losing streak.
Ogden's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Payson hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .323. It's a different story for Ogden, though, as they've only averaged .253. Will they be able to contain Payson's hitters? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
