The Middleton Vikings will square off against the Vallivue Falcons at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Middleton is coming into the contest hot, having won their last seven games.
Middleton's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They blew past Columbia 16-0. Considering the Vikings have won 11 matchups by more than five runs this season, Tuesday's blowout was nothing new.
Samantha Miller made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out 12 over five innings pitched. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in three consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, and one triple. Those three hits gave her a new career-high.
Mekenna Trimmer
| 04/07/26 vs Columbia | 3 |
| 04/24/25 vs Columbia | 2 |
| 04/04/25 vs Caldwell | 2 |
| 03/22/25 vs Fruitland | 2 |
| 03/26/26 @ Timberline | 1 |
In other batting news, Middleton let Shay Hermansen and Mekenna Trimmer run wild. Hermansen went a perfect 4-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and one double, while Trimmer went a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs, two doubles, and one stolen base. Those three runs gave Trimmer a new career-high. Lauren Butler was another key player, going 1-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs.
Middleton kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 16 hits. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their hit total in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Vallivue faced Skyview in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Tuesday. The Falcons fell just short of the Hawks by a score of 4-3. The Falcons' defeat signaled the end of their eight-game winning streak.
Vallivue saw seven different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Journey Engle, who went 1-for-3 with one run and one double. That double was Engle's first of the season.
Vallivue's loss was their first in the conference, dropping their conference record down to 4-1 and their overall record down to 11-3. As for Middleton, their record now sits at 13-2.
Thursday's game might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Middleton has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .469. However, it's not like Vallivue struggles in that department as they've averaged .518. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Middleton skirted past Vallivue 8-7 when the teams last played back in April of 2025. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Vikings since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
