Middleton hasn't had much luck against Bishop Kelly recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Vikings will square off against the Knights at 5:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Bishop Kelly will square off against a team with plenty of momentum: Middleton extended their winning streak to eight on Monday. Everything went the Vikings' way against Skyview as they made off with a 10-3 victory.
Libby Garcia
| 05/05/25 vs Skyview | 11 |
| 04/23/25 vs Nampa | 10 |
| 04/17/25 vs Vallivue | 10 |
| 04/16/25 @ Nampa | 11 |
| 04/15/25 vs Skyview | 5 |
| 04/11/25 @ Emmett | 14 |
Libby Garcia spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on five hits and racked up 11 Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in six consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Middleton let Natalie Miklancic and Rylee Rodriguez run wild. Miklancic went 2-for-3 with two doubles, two RBI, and one run, while Rodriguez got on base in all four of her plate appearances with two runs and one triple. That's the most doubles Miklancic has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Sadie Stafford, who went 2-for-5 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Middleton kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in six consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Bishop Kelly faced Vallivue in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Monday. The Knights were the clear victors by a 16-1 margin over the Falcons. Surprisingly, this marked the Knights' third straight game in which the away team has come away the victor.
Lauren Fettic made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. Fettic was also big at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI and one double.
In other batting news, Kingsley Shea and Jaynie Burke did most of the damage at the plate: Shea went 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI, while Burke went 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one double. Josie Cunningham also deserves some recognition as she hit her first triple of the season.
Middleton pushed their record up to 22-3 with the win, which was their 14th straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.4 runs over those games. As for Bishop Kelly, they are on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last ten matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 18-5 record this season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Middleton has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Bishop Kelly struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 9.3 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Middleton couldn't quite get it done against Bishop Kelly when the teams last played back in April as they fell 6-1. Can the Vikings avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
