The Middleton Tigers are taking a road trip to take on the Madison Mustangs at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Middleton will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more runs each game than the last.
Middleton will bounce into Thursday's contest after beating West Carroll, who they had gone 0-4 against in their four prior meetings. The Tigers put the hurt on the War Eagles with a sharp 22-16 victory on Friday. The Tigers' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
The team relied heavily on Jacey Downen, who went 3-for-5 with two stolen bases, four RBI, and two runs. Those RBI were her first of the season. Emma Norton was another key player, going 1-for-5 with two stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI.
Middleton always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .600. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .500 or higher in three consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Madison scored first but ultimately less than Trinity Christian Academy in their game on Tuesday. They took a 6-3 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Lions. The Mustangs have struggled against the Lions recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive lost matchup.
Nyelah Turner was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. She struck out six batters over 3.2 innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits (and only one walk). Turner was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with one stolen base and one run.
Turner wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Emma Tillman, who went 1-for-2 with one stolen base and one RBI.
Middleton's win bumped their record up to 4-1. As for Madison, they now have a losing record of 2-3.
Madison's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Middleton has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .598. It's a different story for Madison, though, as they've only averaged .255. Will they be able to contain Middleton's hitters?
Middleton was able to grind out a solid victory over Madison when the teams last played back in April of 2024, winning 7-2. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Tigers since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
