For the first time since the spring of 2005, Manitowoc Lincoln can claim a share of the FRCC Boys Baseball title.
The Ships ended the conference portion of their schedule with last night’s 7-to-3 victory over Notre Dame Academy in a tournament-like atmosphere.
After Noah Wech closed it out with 2 innings of hitless relief, Coach Bruce Steinbecker’s squad rushed the field to celebrate.
“It’s special because it’s been a war all season,” he told Seehafer News. “There’s a lot of teams in our conference that you can get beat by any night. Our conference is really tough to play in, we gave ourselves a chance to get a share of the title late in the season by just grinding every day, practicing hard, growing each time, not taking failures too badly and we just kept growing as a team.”
Senior Walker Linboom had the key hit in the win, a bases-loaded single in the first inning after Tritons ace, Deuce Musial, issued 3 consecutive walks.
“First pitch of the at-bat he gives me an off-speed straight down the middle, ya’ know. I’m not sitting off speed first pitch but I know what it looks like,” Walker explained. “And so when he gave it to me second pitch I hammered it up the middle just like I’ve worked on. I’m so glad I put the bat to ball there and support my team and help us get to the win.”
Ships starting and winning pitcher Brayden Steinbecker, who allowed his 1stearned runs of the season, worked the first 4 innings and gave up a mammoth 2-run homer to Notre Dame’s Bryson Koehne (Kane) to make it 5-3.
Evan Deicher then pitched a clean 5th for a hold, before Wech struck out the final 2 batters for the save and attain a goal.
“Just the process that has come along with this year so far and how hard our guys have worked,” Noah said. “How dangerous we can really be with every single guy being as positive as they are. And Coach Steinbecker believing in me when the time comes and when I need to come out there and do my job, having the defense to back me up, it just feels great.”
Lincoln winds up as FRCC co-champs with Ashwaubenon, Bay Port, and De Pere all of whom won their games last night to wind up 14-and-4 in league play.
The Ships (18-and-4 overall) will wrap up the regular season at home against Kaukauna Friday afternoon.
Coach Steinbecker informed us that the 18 wins is a new school record.
Meanwhile, Manitowoc has the #1 seed for the upcoming WIAA Division-1 Regional Tournament and following a 1st round bye will host a game on Thursday, June 1st at 4:30.