Ripon had lost six games on the road, but after bumping their record up to 4-16 on Saturday that streak is in the rearview. They narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past the West Bend East Suns 4-3. This was payback for the Tigers, who suffered an 11-1 loss the last time these two teams met.
Shay Otto
| 05/10/25 @ West Bend East | 8 |
| 05/05/25 vs Plymouth | 2 |
| 04/22/25 vs Waupun | 4 |
| 04/15/25 @ Winneconne | 9 |
Shay Otto made a splash while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over six innings while giving up just two earned runs off nine hits (and only one walk). That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in April. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in two of his four plate appearances with two runs.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Braden Dudzinski, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI. That's the most hits he has posted since back in April. Weston Page also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
As for West Bend East, they have been struggling recently as they've lost ten of their last 11 games. That's put a noticeable dent in their 3-14 record this season. Their defeat continues a trend for the team, making it three in a row.
Like Ripon, West Bend East also got a great game from a two-way player: Mason Sommer. On the mound, he struck out 11 batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits. Sommer was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, three runs, and one triple.
In other batting news, Davis Rowley made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI. He has become a key player for West Bend East: the team is 2-1 when he posts at least three RBI, but 1-13 otherwise.
Ripon and West Bend East could both be facing uphill battles in their next games considering their disadvantage in the MaxPreps Wisconsin Rankings. The Tigers will take on West Bend West at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday with a big rank disadvantage (290 vs. 40). Meanwhile, West Bend East (ranked 229th) will meet Slinger (ranked third) at 5:00 p.m. on Monday.
