The Manitowoc Lincoln Ships will head out to square off against the De Pere Redbirds at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Manitowoc Lincoln will come into the match with an undefeated record on the line.
Manitowoc Lincoln's pitching crew heads into the game hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Saturday. They were the clear victors by an 11-0 margin over Ripon. The Ships might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won four contests by ten runs or more this season.
Bennett Johnson looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up a single earned run in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Manitowoc Lincoln got a big performance out of Vance Schroeder, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI and one run. Zach Bradl also deserves some recognition as he snagged his first stolen base of the season.
Manitowoc Lincoln kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That's the most hits they've posted since back in May of 2024.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask De Pere). Everything went their way against Sheboygan South on Tuesday as they made off with an 11-1 victory. The team's explosion at the plate also rewarded the Redbirds with their most commanding 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. Pennings was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base and one RBI.
In other batting news, Mason Sequin was excellent, going 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.
The win (which was De Pere's fourth in a row) raised their record to 6-1. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.8 runs over those games. As for Manitowoc Lincoln, their win was their fifth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 10-0.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Manitowoc Lincoln has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like De Pere struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Manitowoc Lincoln came up short against De Pere in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, falling 5-0. Can the Ships avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
