Baseball Game Preview: Middleton Tigers vs. Spoto Spartans

The Middleton Tigers will head out on the road to square off against the Spoto Spartans at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Middleton has given up an average of 12.9 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Middleton lost 12-4 to Chamberlain on Tuesday. The Tigers have struggled against the Storm recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive lost meeting.

Dayvin Fisher made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and scored two runs and stole a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. Tate Hancock also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.

Meanwhile, Spoto was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their fourth straight loss. They were two runs away from ending the streak, but they lost a 4-2 heartbreaker at the hands of Lennard. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest defeat the Spartans have suffered since March 21, 2024.

Spoto also got a good showing from Kelvin Ochoa, who tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Ochoa has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one walk in six consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, Spoto saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Na'Im Salter, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3. Salter has become a key player for the Spartans: the team is 2-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 8-12 otherwise.

Middleton's loss dropped their record down to 4-17. As for Spoto, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-13.

Middleton might still be hurting after the 11-1 loss they got from Spoto in their previous matchup back in February of 2024. Can the Tigers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.