The Manitowoc Lincoln Ships will head out on the road to square off against the Ripon Tigers at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Manitowoc Lincoln will come into the match with an undefeated record on the line.
Manitowoc Lincoln gave up the first runs on Wednesday, but they didn't let that get them down. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Notre Dame Academy, sneaking past 6-5. That's two games straight that the Ships have won by just one run.
Gabe Eichmann made a big impact no matter where he played. He tossed two innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. Eichmann was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with two runs. Those three hits gave him a new career-high.
Kameron Braun
| 04/23/25 vs Notre Dame Academy | 3 |
| 04/25/24 vs Sheboygan North | 2 |
| 04/15/25 vs Ashwaubenon | 1 |
| 05/30/24 vs Oshkosh North | 1 |
| 05/22/24 @ Sheboygan North | 1 |
In other batting news, Kameron Braun was incredible, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and one double. Those three RBI gave him a new career-high.
Meanwhile, Ripon fell victim to Waupun and their airtight pitching crew on Thursday. They came up short against the Warriors, falling 13-0. The loss continues a trend for the Tigers in their meetings with the Warriors: they've now lost six in a row.
Manitowoc Lincoln pushed their record up to 8-0 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.3 runs over those games. As for Ripon, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-9.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Saturday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Manitowoc Lincoln has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Ripon struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Everything went Manitowoc Lincoln's way against Ripon when the teams last played back in April of 2024, as Manitowoc Lincoln made off with a 14-4 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Ships since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
