The Maple Mountain Eagles will head out to face off against the Payson Lions at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty run totals in their previous games.
Maple Mountain is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Utah's top teams: North Sanpete, who was ranked 22nd at the time (Maple Mountain was ranked 21st). The Eagles' pitcher stepped up to hand the Hawks a 19-0 shutout on Saturday. The Eagles' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Kyla Donegan was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one walk in seven consecutive appearances. She was even better at the plate, firing off two home runs, five RBI, and one double while going 3-for-3. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March of 2025.
In other batting news, Maple Mountain got a massive performance out of Izzie Groneman, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and two doubles. That's the most hits Groneman has posted since back in March of 2025. Aris Baker also deserves some recognition as she got her first hit of the season.
Maple Mountain was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .607. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Payson not only won on Saturday, but they posted their biggest win since March 6th (when they won 13-1). Everything went their way against Carbon as they made off with a 16-9 win. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Lions.
Aydrie Christensen made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing three innings while giving up no earned runs off five hits. Christensen was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 4-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI.
In other batting news, Anna Marvin was a standout: she went 3-for-4 with three runs, two doubles, and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Myra Andrew, who went 3-for-4 with one triple, one stolen base, and one run.
Maple Mountain's record now sits at 13-6. As for Payson, their record is now 7-8.
Payson's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Maple Mountain has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.4 hits per game. It's a different story for Payson, though, as they've been averaging 8.9 hits. Given Maple Mountain's sizable advantage in that area, the Lions will need to find a way to close that gap.
Maple Mountain came out on top in a nail-biter against Payson in their previous matchup back in March, sneaking past 7-6. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Eagles since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
