Elkhorn North is a perfect 3-0 against Hastings since April of 2023 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Saturday. Elkhorn North will look to defend their home field against Hastings at 10:00 a.m. Elkhorn North is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.2 runs per game this season.
Elkhorn North gave up the first runs last Thursday, but they didn't let that get them down. They walked away with a 9-4 win over Beatrice. The victory made it back-to-back wins for Elkhorn North.
Garrett Ringenberg
| 04/03/25 @ Beatrice | 10 |
| 04/06/24 vs Gretna East | 7 |
| 04/16/24 @ Millard North | 3 |
| 03/24/25 @ Gretna | 2 |
| 04/23/24 @ Blair | 2 |
Garrett Ringenberg tossed a big game, striking out ten batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off four hits. Those ten strikeouts gave him a new career-high.
At the plate, Elkhorn North got a massive performance out of Jake Janssen, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 2-for-4. Another player making a difference was Ian Christo, who scored two runs and stole three bases while going 1-for-3.
Elkhorn North kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Beatrice only managed six hits.
Meanwhile, it may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but Hastings ultimately got the result they hoped for on Thursday. They had just enough and edged out Ralston 5-4. The Tigers haven't had any issues with the Rams recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive victory against them.
Hastings saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Elliott Sidlo, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-5. Carlos Jimenez was another, going 3-for-4 with one RBI.
Elkhorn North's win was their 12th straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-1. Those road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.3 runs on average over those games. As for Hastings, they now have a winning record of 3-2.
Hastings' hitters will have their work cut out for them on Saturday. Elkhorn North has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Hastings, though, as they've been averaging only 3 strikeouts. Will Elkhorn North keep running through batters, or will Hastings buck the trend?
Everything went Elkhorn North's way against Hastings in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, as Elkhorn North made off with a 7-1 win. Does Elkhorn North have another victory up their sleeve, or will Hastings turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
