The Denmark Vikings will head out on the road to square off against the Manitowoc Lincoln Ships at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, these teams will really light up the scoreboard.
As a matter of fact, Denmark put up the most runs they have all season on Friday. They put the hurt on New Holstein with a sharp 12-4 win. With that victory, the Vikings brought their scoring average up to 7.5 runs per game.
Cade Delarwelle spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered four runs (all of which were unearned) on six hits.
On the hitting side, Denmark got a massive performance out of Braedon Heezen, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4. Heezen also hit a double, marking his first of the season. Caden Kersten was another key player, scoring two runs while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, Manitowoc Lincoln strolled into their game on Saturday with a perfect record and they left with the same. They blew past Sheboygan North 17-4.
Turner Sorenson looked comfortable as he tossed 1.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits.
At the plate, Vance Schroeder was a standout: he got on base in four of his five plate appearances with one home run and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Cade Grapentine, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with four RBI, one run, and one double.
Manitowoc Lincoln was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .444. The last time their batting average was this high was back in May of 2024.
The win got Denmark back to even at 2-2. As for Manitowoc Lincoln, their record is now 3-0.
Denmark's speedy runners might be the difference in Monday's game. The Vikings have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.2 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Manitowoc Lincoln, though, as they've been averaging only 1 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Denmark continue to outrun the ball?
Denmark skirted past Manitowoc Lincoln 3-1 in their previous matchup back in May of 2022. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Vikings since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.