The Marian Crusaders will square off against the Elkhorn South Storm at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday. Both come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Marian took a nine-run loss the last time they faced off against Bellevue East, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Crusaders had just enough and edged out the Chieftains 4-3. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Crusaders have posted against the Chieftains since September 10, 2018.
Sadie Klinetobe
| 08/22/25 vs Bellevue East | 6 |
| 10/10/24 @ Norfolk | 2 |
| 10/09/24 vs Lincoln Northeast | 1 |
| 10/09/24 @ Norfolk | 1 |
| 10/01/24 vs Omaha South | 1 |
| + 4 more games |
Sadie Klinetobe made a splash no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out six batters over six innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits. That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in September of 2024. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
Klinetobe wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Adele Tompsett, who went 1-for-2 with two stolen bases and one RBI. Those two stolen bases gave Tompsett a new career-high.
Meanwhile, Elkhorn South made easy work of Fremont on Friday and carried off a 20-9 win. The Storm have beaten the Tigers the last three times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Tigers has come to flipping the script.
Like Marian, Elkhorn South also got a great game from a two-way player: Lauren Schneider. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. Schneider was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with two RBI.
In other batting news, Paityn Spencer was a standout: she went a perfect 2-for-2 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. Kacie Hinrichs was another key player, going 3-for-4 with three runs, two doubles, and two RBI.
Elkhorn South always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .658. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Fremont only posted an OBP of .458.
Elkhorn South now has a winning record of 2-1. As for Marian, the victory got them back to even at 1-1.
Marian might still be hurting after the 13-1 defeat they got from Elkhorn South in their previous matchup back in September of 2023. Can the Crusaders avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
