Middleton High Scores Another Victory

The Middleton High School baseball team came back from a four run deficit late in the game on Tuesday night against Strawberry Crest for their sixth win of the season.

Entering the bottom half of the sixth inning, the Tigers trailed by a score of 6-4. After getting a few runners on base because of walks, Middleton got their bats going. A clutch double from Dexter McCall was the tipping point as it gave the Tigers their first lead of the game at 7-6.

"I thought we came out at a real slow pace for the game," Middleton coach Vernon Slater said. "Things really didn't start to turn around until that sixth inning and then it all just happened at once. That's not the first time we've done that this season."

Junior pitcher Durin O'Linger threw a complete game in the victory, refusing to let Slater bring on a reliever for the seventh inning. He would face only three batters as he finished off a good performance.

"He had a real high pitch count but once we took the lead he really wanted to strive for a win," Slater said. "I was going to go batter to batter with it but he came in and retired the side. He started out slow but he stepped it up and closed it out."

The win is significant for the Tigers for more than just the win column. Mentally, the team can draw strength from the performance  as they enter a layoff period during spring break.

"This is what we needed coming off two district losses," Slater said. "Strawberry Crest is playing really well and is a tough team so it's good to know that we can beat them heading into spring break. Right now, the confidence is up to where we don't panic when we're four five runs down."

Softball

The Middleton softball team fell to 0-10 on the season but showed incredible spirit in their 15-2 loss to Strawberry Crest.

It's been a long time since the Tigers have won. For a team of girls who are predominantly inexperienced and simply playing for the love of the game, the results matter less than the experience.

"Most of our girls have never played softball before," Middleton softball coach Robert Dodson said. "As far as spirit goes, these girls are incredible. They never miss a practice, they cheer their hearts out for each other and their always looking to get better and to grow as people. We may not be the best team in the world but the life lessons these girls learn on the softball field is why I coach."