Payson is 0-3 against Bear River since May of 2015 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Payson Lions will be staying on the road to face off against the Bear River Bears at 10:30 a.m. Payson is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.8 runs per game this season.
Payson heads in on the heels of a playoff match on Wednesday. They lost 9-1 to Desert Hills. The result shouldn't come as a shock considering that's the fewest runs Payson has scored all season.
Payson saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Alli Drake, who went 2-for-3 with a double.
Meanwhile, Bear River faced Snow Canyon in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Wednesday. Bear River walked away with a 9-6 win over Snow Canyon.
Katelyn Wilson tossed a big game, tossing six innings while giving up three earned runs off six hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in seven consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Bella Douglas, who went 4-for-4 with five RBI, three runs, and a triple. Alex Udy was another key contributor, going 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI.
Payson's loss dropped their record down to 18-10. As for Bear River, their victory bumped their record up to 16-9.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both team's pitchers. Payson hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .339. However, it's not like Bear River struggles in that department as they've averaged .313. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Payson suffered a grim 10-0 defeat to Bear River in their previous matchup back in May of 2019. Can Payson avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
