The Juab Wasps will face off against the Payson Lions at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. Juab will be looking to extend their current 12-game winning streak.
Juab's pitching crew heads into the match hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Wednesday. They put the hurt on Richfield with a sharp 10-0 win. The result was nothing new for the Wasps, who have now won seven contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Austin Park
| 04/16/25 vs Richfield | 1 |
| 03/31/25 @ North Sanpete | 2 |
| 03/25/25 vs Emery | 1 |
| 03/21/25 vs Cedar | 1 |
| 03/07/25 vs ALA - Gilbert North | 1 |
The result came thanks to Austin Park's shutout, as he gave up just a hit and racked up nine Ks. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Connor Cowan, who went 3-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Treyson Coombs, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3.
Juab was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .400. The last time their batting average was this high was back in May of 2024.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Payson). They were the clear victors by a 15-0 margin over American Leadership Academy on Monday. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Lions as it put an end to their five-game losing streak.
Ruger Braithwaite made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out six over four innings pitched. Those six strikeouts gave him a new career-high. He was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances. He has become a key player for Payson: the team is undefeated when he posts at least two runs, but 3-13 otherwise.
In other batting news, Maddux DeGraffenried was incredible, scoring two runs while going 2-for-2. What's more, he posted three RBI, the most he's had since back in March of 2024. Jaxton Haveron was another key player, scoring two runs while going 2-for-2.
Juab pushed their record up to 14-3 with the win, which was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.6 runs over those games. As for Payson, their win bumped their record up to 6-13.
Juab took their victory against Payson in their previous meeting back in May of 2023 by a conclusive 12-1 score. Do the Wasps have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Lions turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
