Baseball Game Preview: Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran Lancers vs. Independence/Gilmanton Indees

The Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran Lancers will face off against the Independence/Gilmanton Indees at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran will be strutting in after a win while Independence/Gilmanton will be coming in after a loss.

For some reason, the away team has come away with the win the last six times Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran and Cochrane-Fountain City have met, but the home crowd finally got their W on Thursday. The Lancers came out on top against the Pirates by a score of 9-3 (the very same score they lost by in their prior game).

Derek Wales made a splash no matter where he played. He struck out nine batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off six hits (and only one walk). He has been consistent for a while: he hasn't given up more than one walk any time he's pitched this season. He was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in all three of his plate appearances with three stolen bases and one run.

In other batting news, Jake Zimmerman was excellent, earning two runs and three stolen bases. That's the most stolen bases he has posted since back in April of 2024. Anton Knutson was another key player, getting on base in two of his four plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.

Meanwhile, Independence/Gilmanton didn't have quite enough to beat Arcadia on Tuesday and fell 4-3. The Indees have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

The victory got Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran back to even at 5-5. As for Independence/Gilmanton, their defeat dropped their record down to an identical 5-5.

Eau Claire Immanuel Lutheran couldn't quite finish off Independence/Gilmanton in their previous meeting back in May of 2024 and fell 2-0. Will the Lancers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.