Anclote hasn't had much luck against Bishop McLaughlin Catholic recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Anclote Sharks are taking a road trip to challenge the Bishop McLaughlin Catholic Hurricanes at 7:00 p.m. Anclote is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.9 runs per game this season.
Anclote took a loss when they played away from home on Wednesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Friday. They were the clear victor by a 21-0 margin over Fivay. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Sharks considering their two-run performance the match before.
Aiden Garcia was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, pitching one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Garcia was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-4.
In other pitching news, Jayden Ortiz looked comfortable as he scored three runs while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances. What's more, he posted two strikeouts, the most he's had since back in February of 2024.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Caleb Stockwell, who scored a run while going 3-for-3. Robert Gottscho also deserves some recognition as he got his first hit of the season.
Anclote hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their strikeout total in four consecutive games.
Meanwhile, it may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but Bishop McLaughlin Catholic ultimately got the result they hoped for on Thursday. They narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past Berkeley Prep 2-1. The Hurricanes haven't had any issues with the Buccaneers recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
Cooper Antalek tossed a big game, striking out eight batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits (and only one walk). He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Bishop McLaughlin Catholic saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Christopher Rodriguez, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI.
Bishop McLaughlin Catholic's record now sits at 6-4. As for Anclote, their win ended a three-game drought at home and bumped them up to 3-7.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Anclote has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Bishop McLaughlin Catholic struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.5 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Anclote couldn't quite get it done against Bishop McLaughlin Catholic in their previous meeting on Monday as they fell 6-1. Can Anclote avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
