The Canterbury Crusaders will take on the Shorecrest Prep Chargers at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Canterbury is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They came out on top against Northside Christian by a score of 5-1. The Crusaders haven't had any issues with the Mustangs recently, as the game was their fifth consecutive victory against them.
Kaylah Berta spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on six hits and racked up nine Ks.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Kenzie Tucker, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, one run, and one double. Ella Misenhelder was another key player, getting on base in all three of her plate appearances with three stolen bases and one run.
Canterbury always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .552. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post an OBP of .513 or better.
Meanwhile, Shorecrest Prep won against Admiral Farragut last Wednesday with 15 runs and they decided to stick to that run total again on Tuesday. The Chargers' pitchers stepped up to hand Indian Rocks Christian a 15-0 shutout. The result was nothing new for the Chargers, who have now won 11 contests by six runs or more so far this season.
Bobbie Strus was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Strus was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
In other batting news, Paige Conroy and Madi Bidwell did most of the damage at the plate: Conroy went 2-for-3 with four RBI, two runs, and one stolen base, while Bidwell went 3-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base. Those three RBI gave Bidwell a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Lauren Sas, who went 2-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.
Canterbury's win bumped their record up to 7-15. As for Shorecrest Prep, their victory ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 13-6.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Thursday as neither team is afraid to steal. Canterbury has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Shorecrest Prep struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.7 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Canterbury took their win against Shorecrest Prep in their previous meeting back in May of 2022 by a conclusive 11-3 score. Do the Crusaders have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Chargers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
