The Manitowoc Lutheran Lancers will head out on the road to take on the Brillion Lions at 3:30 p.m. on Friday.
Manitowoc Lutheran is headed into the game having just suffered their biggest defeat since April 28th on Thursday. They came up short against Reedsville, falling 9-1. The Lancers have struggled against the Panthers recently, as the game was their third consecutive lost meeting.
Manitowoc Lutheran saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Wesley Hecker, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base.
Meanwhile, Brillion posted their closest victory since April 26th on Thursday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 5-4 win over New Holstein.
Joe Shimek was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out nine batters over seven innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off seven hits (and not a single walk). He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than eight strikeouts in seven consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Hayden Cousin, who earned two runs and four stolen bases. Those four stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Chase Braun, who went 1-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
Brillion hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters in three consecutive matches.
Manitowoc Lutheran's loss dropped their record down to 7-9. As for Brillion, the victory got them back to even at 10-10.
Brillion's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Manitowoc Lutheran hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .323. It's a different story for Brillion, though, as they've only averaged .250. Will they be able to contain Manitowoc Lutheran's hitters? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
