Softball Game Preview: Appleton North Lightning vs. Fond du Lac Cardinals

Appleton North is 2-8 against Fond du Lac since April of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Tuesday. The Lightning will host the Cardinals at 4:30 p.m. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Appleton North came out on top against Appleton West last Friday thanks in part to the team's impressive nine-run fifth inning. The Lightning were the clear victors by a 16-6 margin over the Terrors. The Lightning haven't had any issues with the Terrors recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive victory against them.

Meanwhile, Fond du Lac had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 12 runs) and they went ahead and made it three on Friday. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 5-4 W against the Patriots. The game snapped a strange streak: the last four times these teams have met, it?s been the away team that?s taken home the W.

Susan Vokes spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned runs on six hits and racked up ten Ks. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in four consecutive appearances.

On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Lillian Birschbach, who went 3-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. The team also got some help courtesy of Reghan Ziegler, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI and one double.

Fond du Lac always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .515. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .515 or higher in three consecutive contests.

Appleton North's first win this season bumped their record up to 1-3. As for Fond du Lac, their victory bumped their record up to 11-5.

Appleton North couldn't quite finish off Fond du Lac when the teams last played back in April and fell 3-1. Will the Lightning have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.