The Kaukauna Galloping Ghosts will challenge the Franklin Sabers at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Kaukauna 2.8, Franklin 2.9) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Kaukauna took a seven-run defeat the last time they faced off against Oshkosh North, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Galloping Ghosts' pitchers stepped up to hand the Spartans a 1-0 shutout on Tuesday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Galloping Ghosts have posted against the Spartans since May 17, 2018.
Meanwhile, Franklin entered their tilt with Kenosha Bradford on Friday with five consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with six. They were the clear victors by a 15-5 margin over the Red Devils. Considering the Sabers have won nine games by more than five runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Ben Hefter and Sam Ortiz made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Hefter pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Ortiz struck out 11 batters over four innings while giving up just two earned (and three unearned) runs off six hits. Those 11 strikeouts gave him a new career-high. At bat, Hefter got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs and one RBI, while Ortiz went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Prescott Sanford, who went 2-for-4 with three runs, three RBI, and one triple. Those three runs gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Dominick Walters, who went 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, one run, and one double.
Franklin always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .561. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Kenosha Bradford only posted an OBP of .345.
Franklin's win was their tenth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 14-2. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.9 runs on average over those games. As for Kaukauna, they now have a winning record of 6-5.
Kaukauna was able to grind out a solid win over Franklin in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, winning 11-6. Will the Galloping Ghosts repeat their success, or do the Sabers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
