Softball Preview: Manti Templars vs. North Sanpete Hawks
Manti is 8-2 against North Sanpete since April of 2019, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Wednesday. The Manti Templars are on the road again to play the North Sanpete Hawks at 3:30 p.m. Both teams come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Tuesday, Manti narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Richfield 9-8.
Aidali Orozco spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and five unearned) runs on seven hits.
At the plate, Manti got a massive performance out of Khloe Layton, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI, a triple, and a run. Another player making a difference was Carlie Thompson, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, North Sanpete put the finishing touches on their eighth blowout victory of the season on Tuesday. They never let Delta onto the board and left with a 10-0 victory. The win was familiar territory for North Sanpete who now have three in a row.
Paeton Johnson made a splash no matter where she played. She kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out 11 over five innings pitched. Johnson has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't pitched less than five innings in four consecutive pitching appearances. Johnson was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all three of her plate appearances with an RBI.
In other batting news, North Sanpete got a massive performance out of Madyson Steadman, who went 2-for-3 with three runs, a triple, and a double. Payton Johnson was another key contributor, going 2-for-2 with a triple, a stolen base, and two RBI.
Manti's victory ended a five-game drought on the road and puts them at 9-10. As for North Sanpete, their win was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 10-8.
Wednesday's game will be a test for both team's pitchers. Manti hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .337. However, it's not like North Sanpete struggles in that department as they've averaged .339. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Manti might still be hurting after the 13-3 defeat they got from North Sanpete in their previous matchup back in May of 2023. Thankfully for Manti, Lucy Oldroyd (who got on base in all three of her plate appearances with a home run, three runs, and three RBI) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
