Manitowoc Lutheran and Reedsville are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2017, but likely not for long. The Lancers will look to defend their home field on Monday against the Panthers at 5:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Manitowoc Lutheran will roll into the match after a wild two-game stretch: they only put up two runs on Monday, then bounced right back against Oostburg on Wednesday. The Lancers were the clear victors by an 11-4 margin over the Flying Dutchmen.
Derek Laabs made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off three hits. He has become a key player for Manitowoc Lutheran: the team is 2-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 5-6 otherwise. Laabs was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases and three runs. Those three runs gave him a new career-high.
Will Franzen
| 05/14/25 vs Oostburg | 3 |
| 05/05/25 @ Mishicot | 2 |
| 04/16/25 vs Sheboygan Area Lutheran | 2 |
| 04/15/25 @ Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah | 2 |
| 05/16/24 vs Reedsville | 2 |
In other batting news, Will Franzen and Logan Brooks did most of the damage at the plate: Franzen went 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one double, while Brooks went 2-for-4 with three stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. Those three hits gave Franzen a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Logan Haupt, who earned one RBI, two runs, and two stolen bases.
Meanwhile, Reedsville owes their pitching crew a big pat on the back after their performance on Thursday. Everything went their way against Mishicot as they made off with an 8-0 win. That's two games straight that the Panthers have won by exactly eight runs.
Like Manitowoc Lutheran, Reedsville also got a great game from a two-way player: Kodie Bubolz. Throwing, Bubolz struck out six batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and not a single walk). Meanwhile, Lucas Lodel didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched. Bubolz has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in seven consecutive appearances. At bat, Bubolz got on base in two of his four plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base, while Lodel went 2-for-3 with one run and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Sawyer Ubersox, who went 2-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI. Jack Schwahn was another key player, going a perfect 1-for-1 with two RBI and one run.
Reedsville is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven games. That's provided a nice bump to their 12-6 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.1 runs on average over those games. As for Manitowoc Lutheran, the win got them back to even at 7-7.
Monday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Manitowoc Lutheran hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .325. However, it's not like Reedsville struggles in that department as they've averaged .313. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Manitowoc Lutheran suffered a grim 11-3 defeat to Reedsville when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Can the Lancers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
