Tampa Catholic and Calvary Christian are an even 5-5 against one another since March of 2018, but likely not for long. The Crusaders will head out on the road to square off against the Warriors at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Tampa Catholic is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. They never let Cardinal Mooney get on the board and left with a 10-0 win. The high-scoring effort was just what the Crusaders needed considering they were shut out in their previous game.
Olivia Ricciardi
| 05/07/25 vs Cardinal Mooney | 3 |
| 02/21/25 vs Sumner | 2 |
| 04/11/25 vs Berkeley Prep | 1 |
| 04/09/25 vs Shorecrest Prep | 1 |
| 03/14/25 vs Buchholz | 1 |
Olivia Ricciardi made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out seven over five innings pitched. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one walk in four consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with three RBI and one double. Those three RBI gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, Bella Busciglio was incredible, going 3-for-4 with three RBI, one triple, and one run. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in March of 2024. Another player making a difference was Lillie Bridges, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run.
Tampa Catholic was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .576. They are a perfect 6-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Calvary Christian). They were the clear victors by an 18-0 margin over Clearwater Central Catholic on Wednesday. Winning may never get old, but the Warriors sure are getting used to it with their eighth in a row.
Morgen Talley was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Talley was also stellar in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Braylee Rano, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with four RBI, two runs, and two doubles. Emma Bell was another key player, getting on base in all three of her plate appearances with two runs, two RBI, and one double.
Calvary Christian's victory was their 22nd straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 26-1. The home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.5 runs over those games. As for Tampa Catholic, their record now sits at 11-9.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday 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 Calvary Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 10.5 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Tampa Catholic couldn't quite get it done against Calvary Christian when the teams last played back in March as they fell 5-2. Can the Crusaders avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
