The Middleton Cardinals will venture away from home to challenge the Janesville Parker Vikings at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Middleton is coming into the game hot, having won their last seven games.
On Tuesday, Middleton made easy work of Sun Prairie West and carried off a 15-1 win. The Cardinals might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five matches by ten runs or more this season.
Megan Button made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits over five innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in eight consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, firing off two home runs and four RBI while going 3-for-3. Those two home runs gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Middleton got a massive performance out of Danica Nolte, who got on base in all three of her plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and one stolen base. That home run was Nolte's first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Lily Kulow, who went 1-for-2 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs.
Middleton always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .656. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Turner hit Janesville Parker with a eight-run first inning on Monday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Vikings lost 17-7 to the Trojans.
Kenedi Pryne was cooking despite her team's loss, going 1-for-4 with one home run and two RBI.
Middleton's victory was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-1. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.2 runs on average over those games. As for Janesville Parker, they have traveled a rocky road recently, having lost seven of their last eight contests. That's put a noticeable dent in their 3-8 record this season.
Janesville Parker'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 .383. It's a different story for Janesville Parker, though, as they've only averaged .219. Will they be able to contain Middleton's hitters?
Everything went Middleton's way against Janesville Parker when the teams last played back in May of 2024, as Middleton made off with a 12-2 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Cardinals since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
