The Berkeley Prep Buccaneers will face off against the Hernando Leopards at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Berkeley Prep 3.2, Hernando 3.9) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Having struggled with four defeats in a row, Berkeley Prep turned things around against Carrollwood Day on Tuesday. They never let the Patriots get on the board and left with a 10-0 win. The high-scoring performance was a welcome turnaround for the Buccaneers' hitters, who had struggled in the games prior.
Mackenzie Crerand was incredible, going 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in February. Hannah Cronin was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one RBI.
Berkeley Prep was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .385. That's the best batting average they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Hernando has relied on a stalwart pitchers averaging 3.86 runs allowed per game, but that average took a hit on Tuesday. They lost 11-1 to South Sumter. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest loss the Leopards have suffered since February 18th.
Ariana Covell made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went a perfect 2-for-2 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
This is the second loss in a row for Hernando and nudges their season record down to 13-8-1. As for Berkeley Prep, their victory was their first in the district, bumping their district record up to 1-3 and their overall record up to 11-9.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Wednesday. Berkeley Prep hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.4 home runs per game. However, it's not like Hernando struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 0.5 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Everything went Berkeley Prep's way against Hernando in their previous matchup back in March of 2024, as Berkeley Prep made off with a 13-2 win. Do the Buccaneers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Leopards turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
