River Ridge hasn't had much luck against Berkeley Prep recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Royal Knights will square off against the Buccaneers at 6:30 p.m. River Ridge will be looking to extend their current four-game winning streak.
Last Tuesday, River Ridge beat Osceola 7-4.
Jacob Hitchcock looked comfortable as he tossed three innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in six consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Cameron Kessell and Jager Golden did most of the damage at the plate: Kessell went 2-for-3 with one double and one RBI, while Golden scored a run while going 2-for-2. That's the most hits Golden has posted since back in February.
Berkeley Prep not only won on Thursday, but they posted their biggest win since February 27th. They were the clear victors by a 14-1 margin over Brooks DeBartolo Collegiate. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Buccaneers.
Trimble Henderson looked comfortable as he pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits.
On the hitting side, Berkeley Prep got a big performance out of Carson Binder, who scored two runs while going 2-for-3. Another player making a difference was JD Haughey, who scored a run while going 2-for-3.
Berkeley Prep always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .545. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Brooks DeBartolo Collegiate only posted an OBP of .118.
River Ridge pushed their record up to 12-6 with the win, which was their sixth straight on the road. The road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.2 runs on average over those games. As for Berkeley Prep, their record now sits at 18-7.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. River Ridge has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Berkeley Prep struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 9.3 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
River Ridge came up short against Berkeley Prep in their previous meeting back in March of 2024, falling 8-4. Can the Royal Knights avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
