Tampa Catholic hasn't had much luck against Berkeley Prep recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Crusaders will square off against the Buccaneers at 6:00 p.m.
Last Tuesday, Tampa Catholic didn't have quite enough to beat Academy of the Holy Names and fell 4-3.
Lillie Bridges was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base and two RBI.
Meanwhile, two teams were on the hunt for playoff glory, but only Berkeley Prep walked away with it. They never let the Patriots get on the board and left with an 18-0 win on Tuesday. The Buccaneers' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Claire Patchen made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one walk in five consecutive appearances. She was even better at the plate, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, three RBI, and one stolen base. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in April of 2024.
In other batting news, Ella Malin was incredible, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. Those two stolen bases gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Olivia Malin, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with two runs and two RBI.
Berkeley Prep always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .852. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
The victory was the third in a row for Berkeley Prep, bringing their record up to 13-9. The wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 0.0 runs on average over those games. As for Tampa Catholic, their loss was their first in the district, dropping their district record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 10-8.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Tampa Catholic has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Berkeley Prep struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.5 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Tampa Catholic beat Berkeley Prep 6-3 in their previous meeting on April 11th. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Crusaders since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
