The Key West Conchs will be taking part in a tournament against the Berkeley Prep Buccaneers at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. The last seven games Key West has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Things were looking good for Key West after they put the first points on the board on Friday, but unfortunately for them things went downhill from there. They fell just short of John Carroll Catholic by a score of 5-3. That's two games in a row now that the Conchs have lost by exactly two runs.
Key West got a good showing from Christian Koppal, who pitched 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. That's the first time Koppal hasn't allowed a single hit since back in May of 2024.
On the hitting side, Kade Maltz was cooking despite his team's loss, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one home run and two runs. That's the most runs he has posted since back in February.
Meanwhile, Berkeley Prep came tearing into Friday's matchup with five straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 4.6 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They blew past the Warriors 15-3. The Buccaneers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six games by six runs or more this season.
Rivers Kurland tossed a big game, striking out 11 batters over 5.2 innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in five consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Josh Herrmann was incredible, going 1-for-2 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. That home run was his first of the season. Carson Binder was another key player, scoring two runs while going 3-for-4.
Berkeley Prep kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Dade Christian only managed eight hits.
Key West dropped their record down to 9-6 with the defeat, which was their third straight at home. Even worse, they were so close so many times: the losses came by an average of only two runs. As for Berkeley Prep, their victory bumped their record up to 13-3.
Key West beat Berkeley Prep 8-4 in their previous matchup back in April of 2023. Does Key West have another victory up their sleeve, or will Berkeley Prep turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
