Bellevue West is 9-1 against Omaha Central since April of 2016 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Thunderbirds will be taking part in a tournament against the Eagles at 4:30 p.m. Bellevue West's pitching crew has only allowed 2.8 runs per game this season, so Omaha Central's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
While Bellevue West's win against Blair wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Thunderbirds sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 4-2 victory over the Bears on Thursday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Thunderbirds have posted since April 7th.
Jayden Kephart
| 05/01/25 vs Blair | 4 |
| 04/26/25 vs North Platte | 2 |
| 04/18/25 vs Millard West | 1 |
| 04/02/25 vs Westview | 5 |
Bellevue West got a great performance from Jayden Kephart as he didn't allow a single earned run over 6.2 innings pitched. What's more, Kephart posted four strikeouts, the most he's had since back in April.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Drew Grego, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with three stolen bases, one run, and one RBI. Those three stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Zack Pinneo was another key player, going 1-for-2 with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Omaha Central beat Lincoln Southeast 4-1 on Thursday.
Boe Di Lorenzo tossed a big game, striking out seven batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Oscar Yuhas-Vining was excellent, going 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and one double. He has become a key player for Omaha Central: the team is 5-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 6-12 otherwise.
Omaha Central's victory bumped their record up to 11-13. As for Bellevue West, their win bumped their record up to 17-8.
Bellevue West was able to grind out a solid victory over Omaha Central when the teams last played back in March, winning 9-5. Will the Thunderbirds repeat their success, or do the Eagles have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
