The Elkhorn South Storm will head out on the road to challenge the Bellevue West Thunderbirds at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Both teams come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Elkhorn South scored the most runs they've had all season to find success on Thursday. They put the hurt on Bellevue East with a sharp 14-3 win. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for Elkhorn South considering their two-run performance the contest before.
Keegan Walters made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (he also didn't allow any walks). Walters was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 1-for-3.
In other batting news, Elkhorn South let Quinn Athy and Luke Hoskinson loose on the outfield. Athy scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-2, while Hoskinson scored two runs while going 3-for-3. Connor Charvat was another key contributor, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
Meanwhile, Bellevue West had to endure a three-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the squad sidled past Gretna 10-8.
Like Elkhorn South, Bellevue West also got a great game from a two-way player: Drew Grego. He pitched an inning while giving up no earned runs or hits (he also didn't allow any walks). Grego was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing two bases while going 1-for-3.
In other batting news, Nick Glantz was incredible, going 3-for-4 with three runs, three RBI, and two doubles. Another player making a difference was Cole Madden, who went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
Elkhorn South's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-7. Those victories were due in large part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.7 runs per game. As for Bellevue West, their record now sits at 12-4.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Elkhorn South has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Bellevue West struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Elkhorn South skirted past Bellevue West 4-3 in their previous meeting back in March. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Bellevue West's Colin Flores, who struck out eight batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off two hits (and only one walk). Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Elkhorn South still be able to contain Flores? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
