Marinette is 1-9 against Denmark since April of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Monday. The Marines will challenge the Vikings at 4:30 p.m. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Marinette took a loss when they played away from home on Tuesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Thursday. They narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past Oconto Falls 3-2. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Marines have posted against the Panthers since April 30, 2021.
Nik Williams spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on one hit.
On the hitting side, Marinette's win was truly a team effort as six different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Ethan Doubek, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI and one double. That double was Doubek's first of the season.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Marinette kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Oconto Falls only managed two hits.
The home team had won the previous four meetings between Denmark and Clintonville, and Denmark kept the tradition alive. The Vikings put the hurt on the Truckers with a sharp 7-1 victory on Thursday. Considering the Vikings have won three contests by more than five runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Cade Delarwelle was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out seven over 5.1 innings pitched. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Denmark is undefeated when he allows at most one earned run, but 0-4 otherwise. Delarwelle was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs. That's the most runs he has posted since back in April of 2024.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Braedon Heezen, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one stolen base, one run, and one double. Kaden Derricks was another key player, going 1-for-2 with three RBI.
Marinette's record now sits at 5-3. As for Denmark, their record is now 3-4.
Marinette suffered a grim 13-3 defeat to Denmark in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Can the Marines avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
