The Fond du Lac Cardinals will venture away from home to face off against the Oshkosh North Spartans at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Fond du Lac has given up an average of 8.1 runs per game this season, but Thursday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Fond du Lac came into their game on Tuesday off a hard-fought close win, but unfortunately suffered a serious change of fortune. They lost 12-6 to Kimberly.
Reghan Ziegler was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-4 with one home run and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Lillian Birschbach, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
Meanwhile, while it was Oshkosh North who put the first runs on the board on Thursday, it was Appleton East who put up more. The Spartans fell 10-6 to the Patriots. While the Spartans didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Patriots 5-0 in the first period.
Emma Niemczyk made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. She is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as she's now snagged at least one in each of the last five games she's played. Sophia Fabiano also deserves some recognition as she got her first hit of the season.
Oshkosh North has traveled a rocky road recently, having lost three of their last four matchups. That's put a noticeable dent in their 3-5 record this season. That patch can't be blamed on the team's hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.3 runs over those games. As for Fond du Lac, their record now sits at 5-3.
Oshkosh North's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Fond du Lac has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 10.4 hits per game. It's a different story for Oshkosh North, though, as they've been averaging 9.4 hits. Given Fond du Lac's sizable advantage in that area, the Spartans will need to find a way to close that gap.
Fond du Lac couldn't quite get it done against Oshkosh North in their previous matchup back in May of 2024 as they fell 10-7. Can the Cardinals avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
