Payson and Salem Hills are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2017, but likely not for long. The Lions will face off against the Skyhawks at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Payson comes in on four and Salem Hills on ten.
Payson is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Utah's top teams: Uintah, who was ranked 20th at the time (Payson was ranked 12th). The Lions narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past the Utes 6-4.
Aydrie Christensen
| 04/10/25 vs Uintah | 11 |
| 03/14/24 vs Bradshaw Mountain | 10 |
| 03/20/25 vs Timpanogos | 9 |
| 05/10/24 vs Sky View | 9 |
| 03/15/25 @ Hurricane | 6 |
Aydrie Christensen made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 11 batters over seven innings while giving up four earned runs off 12 hits (and not a single walk). Those 11 strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with one home run.
In other batting news, Allie Callahan was excellent, going 1-for-4 with one home run and three RBI. Another player making a difference was Lexie Harmer, who scored a run and stole a base while going 3-for-4.
Meanwhile, Salem Hills was able to grind out a solid victory over Riverton on Friday, taking the game 9-5.
Like Payson, Salem Hills also got a great game from a two-way player: Jocile Norman. She struck out six batters over seven innings while giving up five earned runs off seven hits (and only one walk). Norman has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 3-for-4.
In other batting news, Salem Hills let Samaya Haveron and Camryn Guest run wild. Haveron went 2-for-4 with one home run and three RBI, while Guest scored two runs while going 2-for-3. Aliyah Elmer was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one triple and one run.
Salem Hills pushed their record up to 13-1 with the win, which was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season. As for Payson, their victory bumped their record up to 11-2.
Payson suffered a grim 16-6 defeat to Salem Hills in their previous meeting back in March of 2024. Can the Lions avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
