According to Payson softball Coach MaKenzie Simons, that’s just how softball is at times.

It’s a game of monumental highs that can give way to some frustrating lows in a moment’s instance, and that’s exactly what the Lions experienced during bracket play of the 4A state championships on Tuesday.

Just about everything went right for Payson in the first game, using just four innings to pound out an overwhelming 17-0 win over Hurricane before taking it on the chin with a 10-0 loss to No. 1-seeded Bear River a few hours later.

“Softball is such a mental game,” Simons said. “You come out and everything is working well, and then just turnaround and in a second nothing works out. It’s hard. It’s a hard game, but this team knows how to dig deep. I’m confident they’ll continue to show up and fight.”

Simons’ implored all of the above message to her No. 4-seeded team following the frustrating loss to the Bears. Passionate and direct, her message was relatively simple, but absolutely heart felt.

“We have more. That was the message,” Simons related. “We have more to give and going into tomorrow it’s doable. But we have to dig deeper.”

Payson will have an opportunity to play again the double-elimination due to how well it dug during Tuesday’s first game.

The Lions strung together five RBI singles in the bottom of the first inning to jump off to a 6-0 lead during the opening game versus the Tigers. Paisley Beckstead, London Armstrong, Anna Marvin and Haven Jarvis all got into the act to give sophomore starting pitcher Aydrie Christensen a very comfortable lead to work with.

The Lions had just one runner cross the plate in the second inning, but put up 5-spots in both the third and fourth innings to cut the game to just four innings played.

Highlighting the effort was senior slugger Allie Callahan who belted two home runs on the afternoon, including a grand-slam that ended the game in the bottom of the fourth innings. Her first home run managed to stay just fair down the right field line while her game-finishing shot was directly to center field.

Christensen, meanwhile, helped herself from the plate by virtue to recording two RBI which was matched by Beckstead.

“When they put the ball in play they put the ball in play hard,” Simons said. “We showed that in the first game today, and we can be really aggressive. But it’s the mental part of the game we have to keep consistent and we sort of let things get away from us in the second.”

Fortunately the Lions have shown a great mentality for most of the season, earning themselves a stellar 19-6 record for the regular season which was rewarded with a high seed in the state tournament.

“This team has a lot of heart,” Simons assessed. “They have a lot love and it’s one of those teams that I’m not ready to get rid of because they love the game. They all love being part of this team and they’re a family. That’s the one thing we’re trying to push. We do care and we lay it on the line for each other.”

Simons also knows her team is capable of beating the best despite Tuesday’s showing against the Bears. Rewind to just three weeks prior and the Lions lost just 5-3 to that same Bear River team, hanging with it until the end.

“They’re a great team that can hit the ball, but we can hit the ball,” Simons said. “So we definitely hope to have the opportunity to meet up with them again and the strategy from here on out in the tournament isn’t anything specific, but it’s just to give it everything we have and ball-out.”

Payson will meet up with Ridgeline on Wednesday with the winner advancing to the championship round held at Brigham Young University.