The Lakeview Vikings will face off against the Crete Cardinals at 6:30 p.m. on Monday. Lakeview will be looking to extend their current seven-game winning streak.
Lakeview proved they can win big on Saturday (they won by six) and on Saturday they proved they can win the close ones too. They skirted past Gering 5-4.
Cali Bentz
| 09/27/25 vs Gering | 16 |
| 09/27/25 vs St. Cecilia | 11 |
| 09/27/25 vs Cozad | 15 |
| 09/25/25 vs Aurora | 16 |
| 09/22/25 vs Seward | 7 |
| + 11 more games |
Cali Bentz was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out 16 batters over ten innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits (and not a single walk). She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in 16 consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in five of her six plate appearances with one RBI.
In other batting news, Kammi Tomky was incredible, going 3-for-4 with one home run. Those three hits gave her a new career-high.
Lakeview kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That's a new trend for them: they were averaging 5.1 hits per game earlier this season, but in their last 15 games they've averaged 9.2.
Elkhorn North hit Crete with a seven-run fourth inning on Saturday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Cardinals fell 7-3 to the Wolves. The Cardinals have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Hayley Mattox made the most of her time in the batter's box despite the final result and went a perfect 2-for-2 with one triple and two RBI. That triple marked the first that she has hit this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Natalie Davis, who earned two runs and two stolen bases.
Crete's defeat dropped their record down to 20-5. As for Lakeview, their win bumped their record up to 13-5.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Monday. Lakeview 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 Crete struggles in that department as they've been averaging 1.2 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Lakeview might still be hurting after the 14-0 loss they got from Crete in their previous matchup back in October of 2024. Will the Vikings have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
