Two dominant two-way players in Emerson Fuller and Payten Bytheway are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Lehi Pioneers will head out on the road to square off against the Grantsville Cowboys at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. Lehi is looking to tack on another W to their nine-game streak on the road dating back to last season.
Last Tuesday, Lehi faced Spanish Fork in a battle between two of the state's top teams. Lehi's rough 8-1 defeat to Spanish Fork might stick with them for a while. Lehi has struggled against Spanish Fork recently, as their game on Tuesday was their fourth consecutive lost matchup.
Fuller spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three earned (and five unearned) runs on seven hits and racked up eight Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't pitched less than six innings in four consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, Lehi saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Sophie Bliss, who went 1-for-3 with a double.
Meanwhile, Grantsville can now show off three landslide victories after their most recent matchup on Wednesday. They never let West onto the board and left with a 15-0 victory. The win made it back-to-back victories for Grantsville.
Hayden Bytheway and Bytheway made a splash while hitting and pitching. Throwing, Bytheway pitched an inning while giving up no earned runs or hits (she also didn't allow any walks). Meanwhile, Bytheway tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. At bat, Bytheway went 3-for-3 with a home run, three RBI, and a double, while Bytheway went 1-for-2 with two RBI and a double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Avery Lee, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-3. The team also got some help courtesy of Haizlee Hall, who scored three runs and stole a base.
Lehi's loss dropped their record down to 5-2-1. As for Grantsville, their win bumped their record up to 3-5.
Thursday's match will be a test for both team's pitchers. Lehi hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .325. However, it's not like Grantsville struggles in that department as they've averaged .411. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Lehi might still be hurting after the 9-3 defeat they got from Grantsville in their previous matchup back in April of 2023. Thankfully for Lehi, Chloe Bytheway (who struck out 14 batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off two hits) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
