Mount Horeb and Portage are an even 5-5 against one another since May of 2017, but likely not for long. The Vikings will be playing at home against the Warriors at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Mount Horeb comes in on ten and Portage on four.
While Mount Horeb's win against Stoughton wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. Mount Horeb won by a run and slipped past Stoughton 4-3.
Jozie Clifton
| 05/06/25 @ Stoughton | 9 |
| 04/24/25 vs Baraboo | 5 |
| 04/17/25 vs Stoughton | 3 |
| 04/15/25 vs Reedsburg | 3 |
| 05/05/25 @ Reedsburg | 2 |
Jozie Clifton made a splash while hitting and pitching. She struck out nine batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off six hits. Those nine strikeouts gave her a new career-high. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with one double and one RBI.
Clifton wasn't the only one making solid contact as six players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Ruby Dahlk, who went 2-for-4 with one double.
Mount Horeb kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least ten hits in seven consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Portage got themselves on the board against Baraboo on Wednesday, but Baraboo never followed suit. They were the clear victors by a 10-0 margin over the Thunderbirds. The result was nothing new for the Warriors, who have now won ten games by seven runs or more so far this season.
Like Mount Horeb, Portage also got a great game from a two-way player: Ally Saloun. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run over five innings pitched. Saloun has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 11 consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI.
In other batting news, Portage let Jackie Seiler and Brynn Langan run wild. Seiler went 3-for-4 with two runs and two doubles, while Langan went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Alana Brandsma, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs.
Mount Horeb pushed their record up to 12-3 with the victory, which was their sixth straight on the road. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.5 runs on average over those games. As for Portage, their victory bumped their record up to 15-5.
Friday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Mount Horeb hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .397. However, it's not like Portage struggles in that department as they've averaged .320. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Mount Horeb was able to grind out a solid win over Portage in their previous meeting back in April, winning 6-3. Will the Vikings repeat their success, or do the Warriors have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
