Fruitland Sweeps Payette in Two-Game Series, Outscoring Pirates 8-2

PAYETTE/FRUITLAND, Idaho — The Fruitland Grizzlies made a statement in back-to-back games against the Payette Pirates this week, sweeping the two-game series with a 5-0 shutout on Monday and a tight 3-2 victory on Wednesday to close out the week in dominant fashion.

Game 1: Grosdidier Deals a Gem as Grizzlies Blank Pirates, 5-0

Monday | at Payette High School

Jayden Grosdidier took the mound for Fruitland and never looked back.

The Grizzlies' starter was nothing short of brilliant on Monday, going the full seven innings and surrendering zero runs on just two hits while striking out eight and walking two. It was the kind of performance that sets a tone for a series, and Fruitland rode it all the way to a convincing 5-0 road win over Payette.

Fruitland wasted no time getting on the board. In the top of the first, Nate Grosvenor worked a six-pitch at-bat before lacing a single that put the Grizzlies ahead 1-0. One inning later, Titus Vidlak singled to push the lead to 2-0, and Fruitland never trailed from that point on.

Vidlak was the offensive catalyst for the Grizzlies, going 3-for-4 with three RBI and swiping a pair of bags. Grosvenor and Cameron McKinney also recorded multiple hits on the day, giving Fruitland a balanced attack that Payette's defense couldn't contain. The Grizzlies were aggressive on the base paths throughout, racking up five stolen bases as a team.

On the other side, Gauge Christy took the ball for the Pirates and battled through six and a third innings, striking out six and holding Fruitland to seven hits, but the damage came in bunches, and three unearned runs added to the Grizzlies' cushion. Jaysyon Sylva, Darrien Pecunia, and Michael O'Campo each collected a hit for Payette, and the Pirates turned one double play, but they couldn't generate any sustained offense against Grosdidier.

The shutout was a clean one for Fruitland heading into a Wednesday rematch — this time on the Grizzlies' home turf.

Game 2: Three Doubles in the Fourth Prove the Difference as Fruitland Holds Off Payette, 3-2

Wednesday | at Fruitland High School

If Monday was about dominance, Wednesday was about grit.

Fruitland and Payette met again just two days later, and this time the Pirates came out with something to prove. The two teams combined for a pitcher's duel that came down to the final at-bats, with Fruitland ultimately holding on for a 3-2 win and the series sweep.

Payette drew first blood in the opening inning when Darrien Pecunia hit a sacrifice fly to score one run — a gutsy early lead that the Pirates would protect until the fourth inning. Making it even more dramatic, Payette's run came via a steal of home, adding an aggressive wrinkle to an otherwise low-scoring affair.

Fruitland starter Nate Grosvenor settled in after the early deficit, going four innings and allowing just one hit and one unearned run while striking out five. When Grosvenor stepped off the mound, Fruitland turned the game over to Vidlak and McKinney in relief.

The pivotal moment came in the bottom of the fourth. Jayden Grosdidier led off with a double, Blake McKinney followed with a double down the left field line, and Jarron Whaley capped the sequence with a double of his own — three consecutive extra-base hits that flipped the scoreboard and gave Fruitland a 3-1 lead.

Jaysyon Sylva had been sharp for Payette on the mound, going six full innings with four strikeouts and no walks, but the three-double barrage in the fourth proved to be more than he could overcome. Payette pulled within one in the late innings to make it a 3-2 game, setting up a tense final stretch as the Pirates pushed for a tying run, but Fruitland's pitching staff slammed the door.

Payette was clean defensively, committing zero errors, with Pecunia handling eight chances in the field. Gauge Christy, Michael O'Campo, and Ryker Phillips each had hits for the Pirates, and O'Campo drove in a run. But the Grizzlies' defense and pitching depth proved to be the difference.

Vidlak once again led Fruitland at the plate, going 2-for-3. McKinney, Grosdidier, and Whaley each drove in a run, and Grosvenor added two more stolen bases to his week's total.