The Maple Mountain Golden Eagles will head out on the road to square off against the Pleasant Grove Vikings at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Maple Mountain will be strutting in after a win while Pleasant Grove will be coming in after a defeat.
Maple Mountain barely beat Spanish Fork the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. The Golden Eagles were the clear victors by an 11-4 margin over the Dons on Friday. Considering the Golden Eagles have won 14 contests by more than five runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Gracie Jensen spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned runs on 11 hits. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 13 consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Chelsie Carter and Kyla Donegan did most of the damage at the plate: Carter got on base in three of her four plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and one stolen base, while Donegan went 3-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. That's the most hits Donegan has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Daphnee Pagano, who went 3-for-5 with one home run and four RBI.
Maple Mountain was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .406. They are 12-1 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, Pleasant Grove faced Lehi in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Tuesday. The Vikings lost 12-3 to the Pioneers. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest loss the Vikings have suffered since April 8, 2024.
Aniston Norton made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases and one run.
The victory made it two in a row for Maple Mountain and bumps their season record up to 16-6. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.5 runs over those games. As for Pleasant Grove, the defeat snapped their winning streak at three games and leaves them with a 17-6 record.
Wednesday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Maple Mountain has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .468. However, it's not like Pleasant Grove struggles in that department as they've averaged .521. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Maple Mountain couldn't quite get it done against Pleasant Grove in their previous matchup back in May of 2024 as they fell 7-2. Can the Golden Eagles avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
