Softball Game Preview: Appleton East Patriots vs. Appleton North Lightning

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Previous Games

05/16/24 - Away	8-2 W
04/25/24 - Home	8-7 W
04/28/23 - Home	2-9 L
04/28/23 - Home	7-4 W
04/29/22 - Away	8-9 L
+ 5 more games

Appleton East and Appleton North are an even 5-5 against one another since May of 2018, but likely not for long. The Patriots will head out to challenge the Lightning at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The squads are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Appleton East has struggled recently with three losses in a row, while Appleton North will arrive with three straight victories.

Appleton East came into this matchup off a tough 11-run defeat on Friday. This time they kept things ultra-competitive, but unfortunately the final result was the same. They fell just short of Ripon by a score of 13-11 on Saturday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss the Patriots have suffered since April 8, 2025.

Meanwhile, Appleton North got the win against Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln on Saturday by a conclusive 8-2. The Lightning might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five matchups by six runs or more this season.

Appleton East's defeat dropped their record down to 1-7. As for Appleton North, their win bumped their record up to 8-2.

Everything went Appleton East's way against Appleton North in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, as Appleton East made off with an 8-2 victory. Will the Patriots repeat their success, or do the Lightning have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.