Payson is preparing for their first region matchup of the season on Thursday. They will host the Timpanogos Timberwolves at 3:30 p.m. Payson is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 9.9 runs per game this season.
On Monday, Payson needed a bit of extra time to put away Spanish Fork. They walked away with an 8-5 win over the Dons. Eight seems to be a good number for the Lions as the team scooped up a victory with the same number of runs in their previous game.
Peyton Staheli
| 03/17/25 vs Spanish Fork | 16 |
| 03/04/25 vs Skyridge | 13 |
| 05/15/24 @ Snow Canyon | 12 |
| 04/11/24 vs Orem | 11 |
| 03/19/24 vs Syracuse | 10 |
Peyton Staheli spent all eight innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and three unearned) runs on five hits and racked up 16 Ks. The dominant performance gave her a new career-high in strikeouts.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Allie Callahan, who went 3-for-5 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Aydrie Christensen, who went 1-for-3 with one home run and three RBI.
Meanwhile, Timpanogos is ranked highly in their home state and on Saturday they took on another highly ranked team in the form of Legacy. Everything went Timpanogos' way against Legacy as Timpanogos made off with a 12-1 win. The victory was nothing new for the Timberwolves as they're now sitting on six straight.
Shaylie Lang made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out seven over four innings pitched. That's the fewest hits she has allowed since back in April of 2024. She was also big at the plate, scoring two runs while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, Madison Young was a standout: she went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, three runs, and two RBI. Kelci Gingras was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs.
Timpanogos always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .609. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .500 or higher in six consecutive matches.
Payson pushed their record up to 7-1 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.8 runs over those games. As for Timpanogos, their victory bumped their record up to 7-2.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Payson hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .361. However, it's not like Timpanogos struggles in that department as they've averaged .452. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Payson took their win against Timpanogos in their previous meeting back in April of 2024 by a conclusive 19-7. Will Payson repeat their success, or does Timpanogos have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
