Papillion-LaVista is 8-2 against Pius X since April of 2018 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Saturday. The Monarchs will be taking part in a tournament against the Thunderbolts at 10:00 a.m. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Papillion-LaVista is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Nebraska's top teams: Millard South, who was ranked third at the time (Papillion-LaVista was ranked 18th). The Monarchs came out on top in a nail-biter against the Patriots on Friday, sneaking past 6-4. The win was some much needed relief for the Monarchs as it spelled an end to their four-game losing streak.
Landyn Albrecht
| 04/04/25 @ Lincoln Southeast | 3 |
| 03/29/25 vs Norfolk | 2 |
| 04/25/25 vs Millard South | 1 |
| 04/18/25 @ Millard North | 1 |
| 03/24/25 @ Omaha Westside | 1 |
Landyn Albrecht made a big impact no matter where he played. He pitched seven innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off five hits. He is becoming a predictor of Papillion-LaVista's success: when he allows at most two earned runs the team is undefeated (and 8-9 when he doesn't). Albrecht was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, one run, and one double. That double marked the first that he has hit this season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Colton Peters, who got on base in all three of his plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base. Another player making a difference was Evan Eddie, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Pius X earned a 5-1 victory over Omaha Westside on Friday.
Pius X also got a great performance from Henry Suelter as he tossed six innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. What's more, Suelter posted five strikeouts, the most he's had since back in March.
On the hitting side, Lucas Newton was excellent, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs. That's the most runs he has posted since back in March. The team also got some help courtesy of Kai Vanis, who went 2-for-4 with two runs.
Papillion-LaVista's win bumped their record up to 13-9. As for Pius X, their victory bumped their record up to 7-10.
Papillion-LaVista was able to grind out a solid win over Pius X when the teams last played on April 2nd, winning 7-3. Will the Monarchs repeat their success, or do the Thunderbolts have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
