The Marian Crusaders will face off against the Papillion-LaVista Monarchs at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Marian is coming in off a wild two-game stretch: after soaring to ten runs on Tuesday, they were much more limited against Millard South on Wednesday. They lost 13-2 to the Patriots. The loss continues a trend for the Crusaders in their meetings with the Patriots: they've now lost five in a row.
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.
Meanwhile, Papillion-LaVista entered their tilt with Lincoln North Star on Tuesday with three consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with four. They put the hurt on the Navigators with a sharp 11-1 win. The game snapped a strange streak: the last five times these teams have met, it?s been the away team that?s taken home the W.
Chloe Cannon spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on seven hits.
On the hitting side, Maizey Carpenter was incredible, firing off two home runs and four RBI while going 3-for-3. Those two home runs 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 matchups.
Marian's defeat dropped their record down to 11-15. As for Papillion-LaVista, their victory bumped their record up to 23-8.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Thursday. Marian hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.6 home runs per game. However, it's not like Papillion-LaVista struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 1 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Marian suffered a grim 9-1 defeat to Papillion-LaVista in their previous meeting back in October of 2024. Will the Crusaders have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
