Baseball Game Preview: Payette Pirates vs. Fruitland Grizzlies

Pirates

Runs

04/01/25 vs Fruitland	1
03/28/25 @ New Plymouth	12
03/27/25 @ Nampa Christian	5
03/24/25 vs Marsing	6
03/21/25 vs Firth	6
+ 5 more games

For the second straight game, Payette will face off against Fruitland. The Pirates will head out on the road to take on the Grizzlies at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Payette is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.4 runs per game this season.

Payette is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to 12 runs on Friday, they were much more limited against Fruitland on Tuesday. They lost 12-1 to the Grizzlies.

For Fruitland's part, Austin Tesnohlidek made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Tesnohlidek has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two hits in six consecutive appearances. He was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing three bases. Those three stolen bases gave him a new career-high.

In other batting news, Owen Baker was a standout: he scored a run and stole two bases while going 2-for-3. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in RBI (two). Another player making a difference was Max Vidlak, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.

Fruitland kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in ten consecutive matchups.

Payette's defeat was their first in the conference, dropping their conference record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 5-5. As for Fruitland, they pushed their record up to 11-0 with the win, which was their fourth straight on the road.

Wednesday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Payette has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .438. However, it's not like Fruitland struggles in that department as they've averaged .528. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more baseball content.