Middleton and Kuna are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2016, but likely not for long. The Vikings will face off against the Kavemen at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday. Middleton will be looking to extend their current eight-game winning streak.
Middleton is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Idaho's top teams: Eagle, who was ranked 12th at the time (Middleton was ranked second). The Vikings came out on top against the Mustangs by a score of 4-1 on Tuesday.
Ian Lenius
| 03/12/25 @ Owyhee | 3 |
| 03/18/25 vs Thunder Ridge | 4 |
| 03/21/25 @ Twin Falls | 5 |
| 04/01/25 @ Mountain View | 7 |
| 04/18/25 @ Centennial | 9 |
Ian Lenius spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered a run (which was unearned) on two hits and racked up 17 Ks. Those 17 strikeouts set a new season-high mark for him.
On the hitting side, Jedsen Aldrich was excellent, going 2-for-3 with four RBI and one double.
Meanwhile, Kuna gave up the first runs on Tuesday, but they didn't let that get them down. They skirted past Meridian 4-2. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Kavemen have posted against the Warriors since April 15, 2021.
Bergan Overall tossed a big game, striking out six batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off six hits (and only one walk). He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Kuna saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Roper Allen, who went 2-for-4 with one run.
Kuna hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Meridian struck out seven times.
Middleton's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 15-3. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.5 runs on average over those games. As for Kuna, they moved to 12-10 with that win, which also ended their three-game losing streak.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Middleton has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Kuna struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 6.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Everything went Middleton's way against Kuna in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, as Middleton made off with a 13-3 victory. Do the Vikings have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Kavemen turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
