For the first time this season, Payson will have a chance to prove themselves in a conference matchup. They will venture away from home to face off against the ALA - Ironwood Warriors at 3:45 p.m. on Monday. Payson is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 12.2 runs per game this season.
Having struggled with three losses in a row, Payson turned things around against Desert Heights Prep on Thursday. They blew past the Yote 18-3.
Kinikki Smith
| 03/12/26 vs Desert Heights Prep | 2 |
| 03/03/26 @ St. Johns | 1 |
| 04/25/25 @ Gilbert Christian | 1 |
| 04/01/25 vs Apache Junction | 1 |
| 03/27/25 vs Northwest Christian | 1 |
Kinikki Smith made a splash while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out eight over four innings pitched. Smith was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two doubles and one RBI. Those two doubles gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Payson got a massive performance out of Shylah Waterman, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. Those stolen bases were Waterman's first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Vera Sopeland, who went 2-for-4 with three runs, one triple, and one stolen base.
Payson kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 15 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Desert Heights Prep only managed six.
Meanwhile, ALA - Ironwood was not able to break out of their rough patch on Wednesday as the team picked up their fourth straight defeat. They came up short against Round Valley, falling 16-1.
Payson's record now sits at 2-3. As for ALA - Ironwood, their loss dropped their record down to 0-4.
Payson got the 'W' in their previous meeting back in April of 2025 against ALA - Ironwood by a conclusive 16-3 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Longhorns 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
