Baseball Game Preview: Hillcrest Huskies vs. Payson Lions

For the second straight game, Hillcrest will face off against Payson. The Huskies will be playing in front of their home fans against the Lions at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Hillcrest has now lost 11 straight, leaving the team hunting for their first win since April 15.

Payson hit Hillcrest with a eight-run fourth inning on Friday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Huskies lost 11-1 to the Lions.

For Payson's part, Brigzen Houser made a big impact no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out ten batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits (and only one walk). Those ten strikeouts gave Houser a new career-high. He was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 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 6-10 otherwise.

In other batting news, Cole Neves was a standout: he went 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI. Ty Marvin was another key player, getting on base in all three of his plate appearances with one run, one double, and one RBI.

Payson was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .476. They are a perfect 8-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.

Payson's win ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 15-10. As for Hillcrest, their loss dropped their record down to 8-18.

Hillcrest's speedy runners might be the difference in Saturday's matchup. The Huskies have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.9 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Payson, though, as they've been averaging only 1.3 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Hillcrest continue to outrun the ball? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.