North Sanpete is 8-2 against Manti since April of 2022 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Hawks will head out to challenge the Templars at 3:30 p.m. North Sanpete's pitching crew has only allowed 3.8 runs per game this season, so Manti's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
North Sanpete is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Utah's top teams: Springville, who was ranked 13th at the time (North Sanpete was ranked 20th). The Hawks came out on top against the Red Devils by a score of 7-2 on Wednesday.
Kaecee Johnson was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She pitched seven innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off eight hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one walk in four consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two doubles. That's the most doubles she has posted since back in March.
Makinley Burnside
| 04/15/26 vs Springville | 4 |
| 04/11/26 vs Morgan | 3 |
| 03/13/26 vs East | 2 |
| 03/12/26 @ Canyon View | 2 |
| 04/11/25 @ Delta | 2 |
In other batting news, Makinley Burnside was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one home run and four RBI. Those four RBI gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Halie Eliason, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs and one stolen base.
Meanwhile, Manti sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 4-2 victory over Beaver on Wednesday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Templars.
The team relied heavily on Paislee Clark, who went 1-for-3 with one home run and three RBI.
The win got Manti back to even at 9-9. As for North Sanpete, their record now sits at 16-3.
Manti's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: North Sanpete has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.5 hits per game. It's a different story for Manti, though, as they've been averaging 8.8 hits. Given North Sanpete's sizable advantage in that area, the Templars will need to find a way to close that gap.
North Sanpete got the 'W' when the teams last played back in March against Manti by a conclusive 10-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Hawks since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
