Softball Preview: Manti Templars vs. North Sanpete Hawks
The Manti Templars have the luxury of staying home for another game and will welcome the North Sanpete Hawks at 3:30 p.m. on Friday. Manti is strutting in with some hitting muscle, as they've averaged 8 runs per game this season.
Manti fought the good fight in their extra-innings contest against Providence Hall on Wednesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Patriots by a score of 4-3.
Aidali Orozco spent all eight innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and two unearned) runs on ten hits. Those eight innings set a new season-high mark for her.
On the hitting side, Mara Thompson was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-3 with a home run and two runs.
Meanwhile, North Sanpete put the finishing touches on their 12th blowout victory of the season on Thursday. They were the clear victor by a 9-3 margin over Canyon View. The win was nothing new for North Sanpete as they're now sitting on seven straight.
North Sanpete also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and she was also dialed-in: Katelyn Johnson gave up only one earned (and two unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up nine Ks. Johnson has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in seven consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, North Sanpete let Dally Bailey and Paeton Johnson loose on the outfield. Bailey fired off two home runs and three RBI while going 2-for-4, while Johnson went 2-for-3 with a home run, two runs, and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Madyson Steadman, who scored two runs while going 2-for-4.
Manti dropped their record down to 9-15 with that defeat, which was their fourth straight at home. As for North Sanpete, they have been performing well recently as they've won eight of their last ten games, which provided a nice bump to their 14-8 record this season.
Friday's match 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 .316. However, it's not like North Sanpete struggles in that department as they've averaged .358. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Manti might still be hurting after the 11-4 loss they got from North Sanpete when the teams last played last Wednesday. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Johnson, who struck out eight batters over 5.1 innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off seven hits (and only one walk). Now that Manti knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
