The Maple Mountain Golden Eagles will square off against the Viewmont Vikings at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Maple Mountain is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.9 runs per game this season.
Maple Mountain heads in on the heels of a playoff match on Tuesday. They took a 5-2 hit to the loss column at the hands of Spanish Fork. The Golden Eagles' loss signaled the end of their 17-game winning streak.
Hayden Hyatt was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of AJ Thomas, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base and one double.
Meanwhile, Viewmont earned a 4-1 victory over Cyprus on Tuesday.
Cal Miller spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on seven hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Kade Marriott was excellent, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. That triple marked the first that he has hit this season. Another player making a difference was Beckham Smith, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base and one run.
Viewmont has been performing well recently as they've won 11 of their last 13 games. That's provided a nice bump to their 21-11 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.5 runs on average over those games. As for Maple Mountain, their defeat dropped their record down to 27-2.
Wednesday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Maple Mountain has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .487. However, it's not like Viewmont struggles in that department as they've averaged .443. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Maple Mountain took their victory against Viewmont when the teams last played on Monday by a conclusive 10-0 score. Will the Golden Eagles repeat their success, or do the Vikings have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.