Softball Game Preview: Notre Dame Academy Tritons vs. Manitowoc Lincoln Ships

The Notre Dame Academy Tritons are taking a road trip to square off against the Manitowoc Lincoln Ships at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Notre Dame Academy has four straight wins, Manitowoc Lincoln has three straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.

18 must be Notre Dame Academy's lucky number: they beat Green Bay Southwest with that score not once but twice on Tuesday. The Tritons beat the Fighting Trojans by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 18-1. The result was nothing new for the Tritons, who have now won four contests by eight runs or more so far this season.

Maisie Hinz was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and four RBI. Another player making a difference was Olivia Waldrop, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-2.

Hinz wasn't the only one making solid contact: Notre Dame Academy kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 17 hits. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their hit total in four consecutive games.

Meanwhile, Monday just wasn't the day for Manitowoc Lincoln's offense. They came up short against Ashwaubenon on Monday, falling 10-0. The matchup marked the first time this year in which the Ships were not able to get on the board.

Manitowoc Lincoln's defeat dropped their record down to 1-4. As for Notre Dame Academy, they now have a winning record of 5-4.

Manitowoc Lincoln's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Notre Dame Academy hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .347. It's a different story for Manitowoc Lincoln, though, as they've only averaged .216. Will they be able to contain Notre Dame Academy's hitters?

Everything went Notre Dame Academy's way against Manitowoc Lincoln when the teams last played back in April of 2024, as Notre Dame Academy made off with an 11-2 victory. Do the Tritons have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Ships turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.