The Hastings Tigers will challenge the Skutt Catholic SkyHawks at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Hastings is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.4 runs per game this season.
Hastings can't be too worried about heading out to take on Skutt Catholic: they just beat Ralston at home, who had been dominant on their own field up to that point. The Tigers skirted past the Rams 12-10. The Tigers haven't had any issues with the Rams recently, as the game was their eighth consecutive win against them.
Eli Schneider tossed a big game, tossing 5.1 innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances.
Chance Vertin
| 05/10/25 @ Ralston | 3 |
| 04/19/25 vs Blair | 2 |
| 04/12/25 @ Lincoln Northwest | 2 |
| 05/03/25 @ Fairbury | 1 |
| 04/28/25 vs Pius X | 1 |
At the plate, Chance Vertin was a standout: he went 3-for-4 with three runs, one triple, and one stolen base. Those three hits gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Isaiah Shaw, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Hastings kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least 12 hits in three consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Skutt Catholic got themselves on the board against Concordia/Brownell/Omaha Christian Academy last Friday, but Concordia/Brownell/Omaha Christian Academy never followed suit. They were the clear victors by a 7-0 margin over Concordia/Brownell/Omaha Christian Academy. The SkyHawks might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 14 games by six runs or more this season.
Skutt Catholic let Dylan Van Dyke and Joe Kolega run wild. Van Dyke got on base in all four of his plate appearances with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI, while Kolega went 2-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one double. Cooper Smith was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two RBI.
Skutt Catholic's victory was their 15th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 22-5. The home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.7 runs on average over those games. As for Hastings, their record is now 13-11.
Hastings couldn't quite finish off Skutt Catholic in their previous meeting back in March of 2024 and fell 5-3. Can the Tigers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
