The Bellevue East Chieftains will face off against the Lincoln Northeast Rockets at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams are strolling into their matchups after big wins in their previous games.
On Tuesday, Bellevue East got the win against Omaha North by a conclusive 12-1. The Chieftains might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won nine contests by six runs or more this season.
Brooklyn Houghtailing was excellent, going 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI. That's the most runs she has posted since back in September. Addy Hoffman was another key player, going 1-for-2 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Meanwhile, Lincoln Northeast came into Wednesday's game having lost four straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. Their pitchers stepped up to hand Bryan a 13-0 shutout on Wednesday. Considering the Rockets' hitters had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.
Jadyn Dryer made a big impact no matter where she played. On the mound, she tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going a perfect 1-for-1 with three RBI and one run.
In other batting news, Lincoln Northeast got a big performance out of Brynley Chairez, who got on base in both of her plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Lily McPike, who got on base in two of her three plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs.
Lincoln Northeast always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .792. They are 6-1 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Bellevue East's victory bumped their record up to 20-9. As for Lincoln Northeast, their win bumped their record up to 9-18.
Lincoln Northeast's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Thursday. Bellevue East has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9.7 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Lincoln Northeast, though, as they've been averaging only 2.4 strikeouts. Will Bellevue East keep running through batters, or will the Rockets buck the trend?
Everything went Bellevue East's way against Lincoln Northeast in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, as Bellevue East made off with a 14-4 victory. Will the Chieftains repeat their success, or do the Rockets have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
