Local softball teams will try to punch their tickets to the state tournament tonight, while baseball and girls soccer teams tangle in Regional action.
SOFTBALL
In Division Two, the Denmark Vikings, champions of the Northeast Conference, hook up against the Fox Valley Lutheran Foxes, who shared the Bay Conference title with Seymour, at Gale Grahn Fields in Plymouth.
Denmark is looking to play in Madison for a tenth time and defend their state title, while Fox Valley Lutheran out of Appleton looks to head to the big dance for just the second time in school history, as the Foxes lost in the D-2 state semifinals in 2004.
These two teams met during the regular season on May 19th in Denmark, a game won by FVL 13-3.
The first pitch is scheduled to be thrown at 4:30 p.m.
In Division Three, Eastern Wisconsin Conference Champion New Holstein heads to Wrightstown to play the Chargers of Wittenburg -Birnamwood.
New Holstein has defeated Kiel, Valders, and Southern Door to advance, while the Chargers, runners-up to Bonduel in the Central Wisconsin East Conference, have outscored their three opponents (Xavier of Appleton, Nekoosa, and Amherst) by a combined score of 40-6 to reach today’s sectional final.
The Huskies look for just their second state berth (2002), and Wittenberg-Birnamwood looks to go for the third time and hasn’t played at state since 1992.
The first pitch is scheduled to be thrown at 5:00 p.m.
In Division Four, Algoma will play for their first trip to Madison since 2013 and their fourth in school history as they take on Johnson Creek at Johnson Creek, where the home team looks to head to the “big dance” for the fifth time and their first since 2003.
The first pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.
In Division One, FRCC champion Green Bay Preble travels to Plover to play the Stevens Point Panthers.
The Hornets are looking to punch their first-ever trip to Madison, while Stevens Point looks to qualify for the 19th time, but their first since 2017.
The first pitch is scheduled to be thrown at 4:30 p.m.
GIRLS SOCCER
The Kiel Raiders are no longer a secret in Wisconsin high school girls’ soccer.
The state’s top-ranked team in Division Three (19-0-1) starts its journey for what they hope will be a fifth straight trip to state tonight as they host Roncalli/Two Rivers in a regional semifinal at Fifrick Field.
The Raiders feature a suffocating defense that’s pitched 15 shutouts and allowed only eight goals all season.
They also have multiple options on offense, with senior forward Taavi Saeger leading the way. Roncalli/Two Rivers has won six matches this season, including their last two, having defeated Little Chute 2-1 Tuesday to earn the right to battle the Raiders today.
Kiel won the regular-season meeting by a score of 8-0 on May 21st at Roncalli.
The match is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m.
Other Division Three matches on the schedule include Sheboygan Falls hosting Brown Deer, Cedar Grove-Belgium entertaining St. Thomas More of Milwaukee, Denmark is at Waupun, Notre Dame Academy of Green Bay hosts New London, and Luxemburg-Casco is home for the co-op of North Fond Du Lac/Oakfield.
In Division Four, the Valders Vikings have a date at top-seed Xavier of Appleton.
The Vikings defeated Kewaunee 2-1 to advance to tonight’s match that is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m.
Other D-4 matches include Howards Grove hosting Peshtigo, Sheboygan Lutheran/Christian is home for Madison Country Day/Abundant Life Christian/St. Ambrose, Kohler heads to Fond Du Lac to battle St. Mary’s Springs, Oostburg hosts Lomira, Ozaukee/Random Lake entertains Hustisford/ Dodgeland, Elkhart Lake/Glenbeulah is at Wrightstown, Sevastopol/Gibraltar travels to Sturgeon Bay, New Holstein hosts St. Mary Catholic, and Green Bay NEW Lutheran/ Providence Academy plays host to the Clintonville Truckers.
BASEBALL
The Manitowoc Lincoln baseball team has had its share of fantastic moments this season, one of which came Tuesday afternoon when they knocked off FRCC rival Sheboygan North, who beat them twice during the regular season, by a score of 7-2 in a Division One regional semifinal at Bruce Steinbecker Field.
Their reward, a trip to unbeaten and top-seeded Germantown for a WIAA Division One Regional Final this afternoon.
The Ships (15-12) have been the most successful when they are able to play with the lead and put pressure on the opposing pitcher by utilizing their team speed and baserunning skills to score runs.
Senior Gabe Eichman has been the catalyst of the offense as he leads the Ships in batting average (.413), hits (38), runs batted in (23), runs scored (23), doubles (12), triples (2), and stolen bases (13).
A supporting cast consisting of Cade Grapentine, Nick Braun, Bentley Hendrickson, and Benson Dickrell has also been key contributors all season.
The pitching staff has come around with Bennett Johnson, Nick Minikel, and Cade Grapentine, all sporting earned run averages of under three.
It’s been inconsistency on defense that has cost the Ships dearly at times, committing 54 errors, an average of two a game, and they’ll have to play a near-perfect game today to defeat the 26-0 Warhawks.
The champions of the Greater Metro conference are solid in all phases of the game, led by senior John Murkowski.
He leads the team batting average (.448) on base percentage (.547) hits (39), runs scored (39) and stolen bases (37).
A supporting cast of Carter Gordon, Ty Grady Cheever, Ty Olszewski, along with Liam and Langdon Hagland, has been difficult for opposing teams to deal with.
The Warhawks are a nuisance on the basepaths, having stolen 123 bases as a team, and opposing hitters have a collective batting average of .205, meaning opportunities are few and must be taken advantage of once presented to Manitowoc Lincoln.
The first pitch is scheduled to be thrown at 5:00 p.m. with the winner advancing to Bruce Steinbecker Field in Manitowoc for a WIAA Division One Sectional next Tuesday, beginning at 10:00 a.m.
Other Division One regional final baseball games today include Bayport hosting Appleton North, Appleton West visiting Kaukauna, West De Pere heads to Hortonville, Kimberly entertains Pulaski, Neenah hosts Hartford Union, and Menasha travels to Find Du Lac to battle the Cardinals.
