Middleton hasn't had much luck against Madison recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Tigers will venture away from home to face off against the Mustangs at 4:00 p.m. Middleton is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.8 runs per game this season.
Middleton took a loss when they played away from home on Monday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They put the hurt on West Carroll with a sharp 9-0 win. The Tigers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven matches by six runs or more this season.
Kamren Bumpus spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered a run (which was unearned) on four hits. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Middleton is undefeated when he allows at most one earned run, but 5-12 otherwise.
Gavin Harmon
| 04/17/25 @ Fayette Ware | 4 |
| 04/22/25 vs West Carroll | 3 |
| 03/06/25 vs Jumpertown | 3 |
| 04/08/25 @ Clarksburg | 2 |
| 04/21/25 @ West Carroll | 1 |
| + 2 more games |
At the plate, Middleton let Tony Street and Gavin Harmon run wild. Street went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases and three runs, while Harmon went 3-for-4 with three RBI, one stolen base, and one run. Harmon is becoming a predictor of Middleton's success: when he posts at least three RBI the team is undefeated (and 5-12 when he doesn't). Julian Wilson was another key player, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Middleton always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .605. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as West Carroll only posted an OBP of .333.
Meanwhile, Madison was not able to break out of their rough patch on Thursday as the team picked up their seventh straight loss. They were two runs away from ending the streak, but they lost a 7-5 heartbreaker at the hands of Greenfield. Surprisingly, this marked the Mustangs' fifth straight game in which the away team has come away the victor.
Dylan Stranak was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-3 with two runs and one triple.
Middleton's victory ended a four-game drought at home and bumped them up to 8-12. As for Madison, they now have a losing record of 12-13-1.
Madison's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Middleton hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .319. It's a different story for Madison, though, as they've only averaged .257. Will they be able to contain Middleton's hitters?
Middleton couldn't quite get it done against Madison when the teams last played back in March as they fell 5-1. Can the Tigers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
