State softball · Recap · Class A
Millard West knocks out Lincoln East, sets up Elkhorn South
Millard West beat Lincoln East 5-3 in a Class A elimination game.
HASTINGS, Neb. — No. 4 Millard West eliminated No. 7 Lincoln East 5-3 in Class A Game 10 on Friday at the Bill Smith Softball Complex. Millard West, which entered the tournament 25-6, faces unbeaten Elkhorn South in Saturday's Game 13 at 10:00 a.m. on Field #3. The Wildcats would have to win twice, in Game 13 and in a Game 14 if necessary, to reach Monday's final at Bowlin Stadium in Lincoln.
How it went: Millard West scored once in the first. Lincoln East scored three in the top of the third to lead 3-1, and the Wildcats tied it with two in the bottom of the third. Neither team scored again until the bottom of the sixth, when Millard West scored twice for the 5-3 lead.
In the circle: L. Garcia pitched a complete game for the win. She allowed three runs, only one earned, on seven hits, with two walks and six strikeouts, on 95 pitches (64 strikes) to 32 batters. Earlier Friday she threw 110 pitches in the loss to Millard North, so she threw 205 for the day.
L. Bednar took the loss for Lincoln East, also on her second start of the day. She allowed five runs (three earned) on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts in six innings, on 104 pitches. That followed her 109 against Omaha Westview.
At the plate: V. Hanlon doubled and drove in two runs for Millard West. A. Burdorf doubled and scored, and A. Finley reached twice and scored two runs. O. Wenz drove in a run. Millard West had only five hits but stranded only four runners, while Lincoln East left eight on base.
Lincoln East: L. Barrett went 2-for-3 with a walk. P. Sandy went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI, and Bednar doubled and drove in a run. C. Haydon drove in one, and C. Fitzgerald had a hit.
Errors: Each team made three. Haydon was charged with two for Lincoln East.
Lincoln East, which entered 18-12, went 1-2 at state. Its win was a 10-8 victory over Omaha Westview earlier Friday. Millard West has gone 2-1: a 5-4 win over Papillion-La Vista, the 9-1 loss to Millard North and this win.
Line score
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E Lincoln East 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 3 7 3 Millard West 1 0 2 0 0 2 X 5 5 3
Sources: NSAA official box scores, Class A, Friday, Oct. 16, 2026 (posted 8:45 p.m. CT, via NSAA Softball Championships HQ); NSAA Class A bracket sheet, retrieved Oct. 16, 2026, 9:48 p.m. CT. Innings are noted only where NSAA's results data marks them.
Follow every score on the NEB Preps softball state tournament hub.
