The Piute Thunderbirds are taking a road trip to challenge the Altamont Longhorns at 2:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.
Piute took a loss when they played away from home last Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past Panguitch 18-16. The high-scoring effort was just what the Thunderbirds needed considering they were shut out in their previous match.
Ashlynne Moore made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out eight batters over seven innings while giving up four earned (and 12 unearned) runs off ten hits. Moore was even better at the plate, going 3-for-5 with two stolen bases, three runs, and four RBI.
In other batting news, Kenadi King was a standout: she scored four runs and stole three bases while going 2-for-4. Another player making a difference was Trinity Robinson, who scored three runs and stole four bases while going 3-for-4.
Piute always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .524. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Altamont entered their tilt with Richfield on Saturday with four consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with five. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 14-12 win over the Wildcats. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Longhorns have posted since May 9, 2024.
Altamont got a massive performance out of Lacie Long, who scored three runs while going 4-for-4. What's more, Long posted two doubles, the most she's had since back in March of 2024. Corryn Webb also deserves some recognition as she brought in her first RBI of the season.
Piute has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four games. That's provided a massive bump to their 3-5 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 14.3 runs over those games. As for Altamont, they now have a winning record of 5-4.
Piute took their victory against Altamont when the teams last played back in May of 2023 by a conclusive 16-1 score. Do the Thunderbirds have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Longhorns turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
