The Papillion-LaVista Monarchs are taking a road trip to face off against the Marian Crusaders at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. One thing working in Papillion-LaVista's favor is that they have posted at least ten runs in their last four matchups.
For some reason, the away team has come away with the win the last five times Papillion-LaVista and Lincoln North Star have met, but the home crowd finally got their W on Tuesday. The Monarchs put the hurt on the Navigators with a sharp 11-1 victory. The Monarchs might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 18 contests by six runs or more this season.
Chloe Cannon spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on seven hits.
Maizey Carpenter
| 09/30/25 vs Lincoln North Star | 4 |
| 09/19/25 vs Lincoln Northeast | 3 |
| 09/09/25 vs Papillion-LaVista South | 3 |
| 10/09/24 vs Lincoln Southeast | 3 |
| 09/26/24 @ Norfolk | 3 |
At the plate, Maizey Carpenter was incredible, firing off two home runs and four RBI while going 3-for-3. Those four RBI gave her a new career-high. Reese Haberer was another key player, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run and three RBI.
Papillion-LaVista hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team has now struck out at least five batters in nine consecutive games.
Meanwhile, after soaring to ten runs the game before, Marian was a bit more limited in their matchup on Wednesday. They lost 13-2 to Millard South. The Crusaders haven't had much luck with the Patriots recently, as the team has come up short the last five times they've met.
Marian saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Adele Tompsett, who went 1-for-2 with one triple and one RBI. That triple marked the first that Tompsett has hit this season.
Papillion-LaVista's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 23-8. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.0 runs on average over those games. As for Marian, their defeat dropped their record down to 11-15.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Papillion-LaVista hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .403. However, it's not like Marian struggles in that department as they've averaged .330. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Papillion-LaVista's way against Marian when the teams last played back in October of 2024, as Papillion-LaVista made off with a 9-1 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Monarchs since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
