The De Pere Redbirds will face off against the Manitowoc Lincoln Ships at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as De Pere comes in on four and Manitowoc Lincoln on ten.
De Pere is headed in fresh off scoring the most runs they have all season. They put the hurt on Sheboygan South with a sharp 11-1 victory on Tuesday. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the team's high-flying offense, the game also marked the team's biggest win of the season.
Cullen Pennings made a splash no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out six over four innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Mason Sequin, who went 1-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI. Ryan Wettstein was another key player, going a perfect 1-for-1 with two runs and one stolen base.
De Pere kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in five consecutive matchups.
Meanwhile, Manitowoc Lincoln got themselves on the board against Ripon on Saturday, but Ripon never followed suit. They were the clear victors by an 11-0 margin over the Tigers. Considering the Ships have won four games by more than nine runs this season, Saturday's blowout was nothing new.
Bennett Johnson looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched.
On the hitting side, Vance Schroeder was a standout: he went 2-for-3 with three RBI and one run. The team also got some help courtesy of Gabe Eichmann, who went 3-for-4 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Manitowoc Lincoln's victory was their fifth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 10-0. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.2 runs on average over those games. As for De Pere, their victory bumped their record up to 6-1.
Monday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. De Pere has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .440. However, it's not like Manitowoc Lincoln struggles in that department as they've averaged .447. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
De Pere beat Manitowoc Lincoln 5-0 in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. Do the Redbirds have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Ships turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
