Westlake hasn't had much luck against Pleasant Grove recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Thunder will look to defend their home field against the Vikings at 3:30 p.m. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Having struggled with six losses in a row, Westlake turned things around against Lehi on Friday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against the Pioneers, sneaking past 5-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Thunder have posted since March 6th.
Westlake's win was truly a team effort as eight different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Andrew Hernandez, who scored a run while going 2-for-4. Another was Kade Daniels, who scored a run while going 1-for-4.
Meanwhile, Pleasant Grove came tearing into Friday's game with ten straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 5.4 runs), and they left with even more momentum. Everything went their way against the Falcons as they made off with a 13-3 victory. Considering the Vikings have won seven matches by more than five runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Van Haynie looked comfortable as he tossed three innings while giving up three earned runs off only two hits.
At the plate, Pleasant Grove let R.J. Wilson and Brad Farrer run wild. Wilson went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, one triple, and two RBI, while Farrer went a perfect 1-for-1 with one home run and three RBI. That's the most hits Wilson has posted since back in May of 2024. Drew Smith was another key player, scoring three runs while going 1-for-4.
Pleasant Grove pushed their record up to 12-1 with the win, which was their sixth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.3 runs over those games. As for Westlake, their win was their first in the region, bumping their region record up to 1-2 and their overall record up to 5-8.
Tuesday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Westlake hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .326. However, it's not like Pleasant Grove struggles in that department as they've averaged .356. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Westlake couldn't quite get it done against Pleasant Grove when the teams last played back in April of 2024 as they fell 8-5. Will the Thunder have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other baseball content.
