Maple Mountain is 9-1 against Payson since March of 2015, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Friday. The Maple Mountain Golden Eagles will head out on the road to take on the Payson Lions at 3:30 p.m.
Last Wednesday, Maple Mountain fell victim to a rough 12-2 defeat at the hands of Salem Hills. That's two games in a row now that Maple Mountain has lost by exactly ten runs.
Maple Mountain saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Izzie Groneman, who went 1-for-2 with an RBI.
Meanwhile, Payson scored the most runs they've had all season to find success on Thursday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Mountain View a 20-0 shutout. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the team's high-flying offense, the game also marked the team's biggest victory of the season.
Aydrie Christensen made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits over four innings pitched. Christensen has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive pitching appearances. Christensen was also solid in the batter's box, scoring three runs.
In other batting news, Payson got a massive performance out of Alli Drake, who scored three runs and stole two bases while going 3-for-4. Lexie Harmer was another key contributor, scoring four runs while going 3-for-4.
This is the second loss in a row for Maple Mountain and nudges their season record down to 4-6. As for Payson, their win bumped their record up to 5-6.
Friday's match will be a test for both team's pitchers. Maple Mountain hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .350. However, it's not like Payson struggles in that department as they've averaged .325. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Maple Mountain was able to grind out a solid victory over Payson in their previous matchup back in March of 2022, winning 10-7. The rematch might be a little tougher for Maple Mountain since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
