The Gretna Dragons will head out to face off against the Pius X Thunderbolts at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Gretna will be looking to extend their current five-game winning streak.
Gretna is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Nebraska's top teams: Blair, who was ranked eighth at the time (Gretna was ranked fourth). The Dragons came out on top against the Bears by a score of 8-4 on Tuesday. With that victory, the Dragons brought their scoring average up to 6.1 runs per game.
Taelyn Rupiper
| 09/30/25 @ Blair | 7 |
| 09/25/25 @ Waverly | 12 |
| 09/22/25 vs Standing Bear | 12 |
| 09/19/25 @ Bellevue East | 9 |
| 09/19/25 @ Bellevue West | 6 |
| 09/16/25 vs Hastings | 13 |
Taelyn Rupiper spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four earned runs on five hits and racked up seven Ks. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in six consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Maddie Kurrus was incredible, firing off two home runs and three RBI while going 2-for-4. That's the most home runs she has posted since back in August. The team also got some help courtesy of Megan Marshall, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI, one triple, and one run.
Gretna hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least four batters in five consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, it may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but Pius X ultimately got the result they hoped for on Tuesday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with an 8-7 win over Wayne. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Thunderbolts have posted since September 28, 2024.
Adee Duggan made a splash while hitting and pitching. She struck out six batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. Duggan was also big at the plate, going 2-for-5 with two runs and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Libby Preister, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with two runs, two doubles, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Katherine Hoefener, who went 3-for-4 with one double and one RBI.
Gretna's record is now 22-6. As for Pius X, their record now sits at 12-14.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Thursday. Gretna hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.5 home runs per game. However, it's not like Pius X struggles in that department as they've been averaging 0.7 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Gretna took their win against Pius X when the teams last played back in October of 2024 by a conclusive 8-0 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Dragons since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
