Sports

Leave it to junior catcher Koeplin Look to find some silver lining in a dark cloud.

Saddled with a two-game losing streak, Middleton’s baseball team didn’t waste any time putting its recent setbacks behind it on a brisk Saturday afternoon that was more suited for a late-season football game.

Middleton jumped to an early lead and never looked back in cruising to a 13-3 victory in five innings over visiting Janesville Parker in a Big Eight Conference baseball game that was ended by the mercy rule.

The Cardinals (7-3 overall, 5-2 Big Eight) had opened the week with a walk-off win over conference rival Madison Memorial on April 15.

But Middleton followed that with a 7-3 Big Eight Conference loss to Verona on April 16 and an 8-6 non-conference setback versus Division 1 power Mosinee last Friday.

Look said the Cardinals quickly put those losses in their rearview mirror.

OREGON — Some losses sting a little less than others.

This was one of them for Middleton’s girls soccer team.

The Cardinals fell behind 1-0 in the ninth minute against perennial WIAA Division 2 state title contender Oregon but nearly got the equalizer on two occasions before ultimately suffering a 2-0 loss last Saturday.

That second Panthers’ goal was a virtually meaningless tally with 50 seconds left.

So while the Cardinals didn’t win, they certainly showed in those 80 minutes against the Panthers — ranked second in Division 2 according to the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association state poll — that their young season has great promise.

Middleton’s girls softball team has been searching for a branch of consistency to hold onto at the start of this spring.

Perhaps the Cardinals found one last week.

Middleton blanked visiting Madison Memorial, 6-0, on April 15. The Cardinals followed that with an 11-3 win over host Sun Prairie West on April 17.

Middleton is now 5-5 overall and 3-2 in the Big Eight Conference.

Here’s a recap of the Cardinals’ week:

• Middleton 6, Madison Memorial 0 — Megan Button threw a complete game shutout and powered the Cardinals past the Spartans.

Button struck out 13 in seven innings and allowed just three hits. Button didn't walk a batter and threw strikes on 68 of her 89 pitches (76.4%).

“The gameplan was originally to split the game between a couple of different pitchers, but Megan had an incredible day on the mound,” Middleton coach Brittany Carl said. “She was efficient and well in command.

The boys state golf tournament won’t take place until the first week of June.

It’s a virtual certainty, though, that event won’t have as many stellar teams as the Sheboygan North Invite did last week.

Middleton ventured to the North Invite on April 17-18 where nine of the state’s top-10 teams and 15 others receiving votes competed. And after finishing fifth overall at the two-day, 48-team event, the Cardinals felt pretty good about where they stood.

“With more opportunities to work on their game, I can see our team score going lower,” Middleton coach Tom Cabalka said. “This team has much talent, with all five players being potential scorers on any given day.”

Waukesha North won the tournament with a 604-team score, while Milwaukee Marquette (611), Waunakee (616), Oconomowoc (619) and Middleton (622) rounded out the top five.

The first round was played at Blackwolf Run in Kohler and the Cardinals’ 317 team score left them in sixth place.

Middleton’s girls lacrosse team won two of three games last week.

The Cardinals fell to Muskego, 11-9, on April 15. Middleton responded, though, with a 19-8 win over Waunakee on April 18 and an 18-2 victory over Sun Prairie United last Friday.

Here’s a recap of the Cardinals’ week:

• Muskego 11, Middleton 9 — The Cardinals outscored the Warriors, 7-2 in the second half. The problem is Muskego held a 9-2 edge at halftime.

“After putting Abby Tubbs on the circle, we were able to gain more draw controls and the defense was able to continue to pressure turnovers,” Middleton coach Alexa Byers said.

• Middleton 19, Waunakee 8 — Laina Gustafson had six goals, while Abby Tubbs added five goals to power the Cardinals.

Goalie Izzy Ensenberger was extremely active in and out of goal and earned the win.

Middleton’s boys lacrosse team notched a pair of wins last weekend and climbed above the .500 mark.

The Cardinals rolled past host Mukwonago, 14-5, last Friday. Middleton then downed visiting Appleton, 12-10, last Saturday.

The Cardinals are now 4-3 overall.

Here’s a recap of Middleton’s week:

• Middleton 14, Mukwonago 5 — Senior co-captain James Grosspietsch and junior attackman Arjay Johnson scored three goals each to power the Cardinals past the Indians.

Will O’Brien also had an impressive string of faceoff wins, while junior goalie Kyle Ballweg turned in a strong performance.

• Middleton 12, Appleton United 10 — Arjay Johnson and senior co-captain Parker Leslie both scored four goals as the Cardinals edged Appleton.

Classy.

Respectful.

Well-mannered.

Those words weren’t always used when it came to Middleton’s boys hockey program before Dan Truehl became the Cardinals’ head coach in 2020.

In four short years, though, Truehl changed the culture internally and the perception of the program across the state.

That’s why it was a blow to the entire Middleton athletic department when Truehl stepped down on April 8.

“One thing we talk about all the time is we want first class adults in front of our kids,” Middleton athletic director Jamie Sims said. “Dan and his staff did a great job at that. I hate to see him leave.”

Truehl, the Director of Training at LIFT Consulting in Madison, said his job with that company has changed in recent years.

Truehl has climbed the ladder and now has a team of people working for him. He’s traveling more than ever. And juggling both hockey and a rising career became a struggle.

The Big Eight Conference baseball race is shaping up to be a doozy.

Three weeks into the season, Sun Prairie East, Madison Memorial and Verona were all undefeated.

Middleton was hanging close to the leaders, though.

The Cardinals continued their terrific start to the season last week by winning two of three games. Middleton is now 5-1 overall and 3-1 in the Big Eight Conference.

Here’s a recap of the Cardinals’ week:

• Middleton 15, Madison La Follette 0 (5) — Kyle Pape, Logan Kalscheur and Jackson Guerrero combined to throw a no-hitter on April 11 in a game that was stopped after five innings due to the mercy rule.

Pape threw the first two innings, striking out four and walking just one. Kalscheur threw the next two frames, struck out two and walked two. And Guerrero finished up by recording one strikeout and one walk in his inning of work.

Mary Duffy wasn’t messing around.

When Duffy — Middleton’s girls soccer coach — set up a weekend tournament for her team, she was determined to make sure the Cardinals faced elite competition.

So Middleton battled perennial-power Neenah, which has been to the WIAA Division 1 state tournament 15 times, on Friday. The Cardinals followed that up with a Saturday contest against Hudson, the Division 1 state runner-up in 2021.

What Duffy and the Cardinals learned is they can play with many of the state’s top teams. Middleton rolled to 3-0 win over Neenah last Friday, before settling for a 1-1 tie with Hudson last Saturday.

“All games, whether a win, tie or loss, give us additional information to help us progress to the next level,” Duffy said.

Middleton certainly played at a high level against Neenah.

SUN PRAIRIE – It’s been a rollercoaster of a season so far for Middleton’s girls softball team.

But the Cardinals, who led off last week with a 15-3 victory over East Madison United – a Madison La Follette/Madison East co-op team – don’t plan on letting three consecutive losses to end the week keep them down for long.

Middleton fell to 3-5 overall and 1-2 in the Big Eight Conference with the losses.

“It’s early in the season. It’s things we have to identify now and fix before it really counts in postseason,” Middleton manager Brittany Karl said. “It’s a great learning experience.”

Karl expected the Cardinals would be challenged early with three games against teams ranked in the top-10 in the Wisconsin Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association Division 1 poll.

After suffering a tough 2-0 loss to eighth-ranked Milton on April 6, second-ranked Sun Prairie East pulled away for a 7-3 Big Eight Conference victory on April 11.