Sports

Things have gotten harried for Middleton’s girls softball team.

That’s what nightmarish spring weather will do.

But the Cardinals held up well last week, winning three of the five games they played. Middleton improved to 4-4 overall.

Here’s a recap of the Cardinals’ week.

• Middleton 5, Beloit Memorial 4 — Emily Pomykalski had two hits, including a triple, and drove in three runs to power the visiting Cardinals last Friday.

Ashley Stormer went the distance for Middleton, striking out five and allowing just two earned runs.

Middleton raced to a 5-0 lead through two innings, then held on for dear life as the Purple Knights charged back.

“Good win,” Middleton manager Arin Oppermann said. “It was great that we got the lead right away, but now we need to work on getting on base and scoring every inning. We can’t get too comfortable with the amount of runs we have.”

Some of the state’s top boys tennis programs competed in the Verona Invitational last Friday and Saturday.

And Middleton showed it was the near the top of the food chain.

The Cardinals went 3-1 on the weekend with wins over Sheboygan North, Waukesha West and Brookfield Central. Middleton’s only loss came to Nicolet.

Here’s a recap of Middleton’s weekend.

• Nicolet 5, Middleton 2 — Cardinals No. 1 singles player Ben Luskin notched an impressive 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 win over Nicolet’s Kevin Ballecer. Middleton also got a win at No. 4 singles, where Tyler Markel posted a 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-2 victory over Nicolet’s Rafi Barash.

But Middleton dropped all three doubles matches and lost the other two singles matches.

• Middleton 6, Sheboygan North 1 — The Cardinals rolled through all four singles flights and notched victories in two of the three doubles matches.

Middleton’s baseball team has spent most of the spring starving for games.

Saturday afternoon, the Cardinals had a chance for a feast.

Unfortunately for Middleton, it left the dinner table still hungry.

The Cardinals toppled Beloit Memorial, 3-2, in the first of two games played that day. In the second game, though, Madison West toppled the Cardinals, 3-2, in 10 innings.

Middleton is now 2-1 on the young season

“Our pitching has been really good so far,” said Middleton manager Tom Schmitt, whose game against Madison La Follette Tuesday was rained out. “Our hitting has a ways to go.”

In the Cardinals’ win over Beloit Memorial, Brian Lochner went 2-for-3. Both Jackson Keeler and Reese Felton had doubles, as well.

Middleton scored all three of its runs in the first inning.

With two outs, Brian Lochner singled and stole second base. Tanner Meinholz reached on an error and Casey Miller followed with a run-scoring single.

They’ve worked together for 11 years now.

Egos aren’t an issue. And both wanted the family approach inside the cross country program to remain.

So Middleton staples Isaac Mezera and Cindy Bremser will team up beginning this fall and share the boys and girls head cross country positions. Both are long-time assistants and will replace Joe Spolar, who retired last fall after 20 years in the program.

“Because of our close work together, Isaac and I felt that co-head coaching would be the best way to continue the cross country program,” said Bremser, a former Olympian. “We feel we have a very successful program having the boys and girls together. 

“Cross country is a participatory sport, and even though our numbers have grown, we are passionate in keeping everyone involved. To me success is not only measured by having competitive teams and athletes, but by allowing each athlete to participate and grow as a person.”