This was not the ending anyone envisioned.
Middleton’s baseball team won 20 games this year. The Cardinals tied for first place in the Big Eight Conference, were the No. 1 seed in their sectional and fully expected to keep their dream season alive.
But it all came to a crashing halt Tuesday.
Middleton fell behind DeForest, 6-0, after two innings of their WIAA Division 1 sectional semifinal. The Cardinals rallied back, but the early hole was too deep and the Norskies eventually notched a 7-5 win.
Middleton ended its season 20-8. DeForest, which tied for fourth place in the Northern Badger Conference, improved to 13-9.
Afterwards, this extremely close group of Cardinals — many who have been playing together for a decade — almost couldn’t grasp the fact that their year was over.