After both having extra time off, the Payson Lions and the Orem Tigers will shake off the cobwebs and hit the field against one another at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Payson is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 10.9 runs per game this season.
Payson's pitching crew heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed last Thursday. They put the hurt on Provo with a sharp 17-0 win. The victory continues a trend for the Lions in their matchups with the Bulldogs: they've now won five in a row.
Aydrie Christensen was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowing only one hit over four innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in four consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring three runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.
Paisley Beckstead
| 03/27/25 @ Provo | 6 |
| 03/25/25 vs Mountain View | 4 |
| 03/05/25 @ Maple Mountain | 4 |
| 03/11/25 vs Springville | 3 |
| 03/20/25 vs Timpanogos | 2 |
In other batting news, Paisley Beckstead was incredible, firing off two home runs, six RBI, and four runs while going 3-for-4. Those six RBI gave her a new career-high. Jaylee Judd was another key player, scoring two runs and stealing four bases while going 1-for-2.
Payson always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .514. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Provo only posted an OBP of .231.
Meanwhile, Orem hadn't done well against Uintah recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way last Thursday. The Tigers narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past the Utes 11-9. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Tigers.
The team relied heavily on Kate Allred, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, five RBI, and two runs. That home run was her first of the season. Another player making a difference was Cheyanne Wells, who went 3-for-5 with one home run and two RBI.
Payson's record is now 9-2. As for Orem, their record now sits at 10-7.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Tuesday. Payson hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 1.5 home runs per game. However, it's not like Orem struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 1.2 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Everything went Payson's way against Orem in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, as Payson made off with a 10-0 victory. Will the Lions repeat their success, or do the Tigers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
