Softball Game Preview: Berkeley Prep Buccaneers vs. Wellington Wolverines

The Berkeley Prep Buccaneers are taking a road trip to take on the Wellington Wolverines at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. The squads are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Berkeley Prep has struggled recently with three defeats in a row, while Wellington will arrive with three straight victories.

Last Tuesday, Berkeley Prep didn't have quite enough to beat Academy of the Holy Names and fell 2-1.

Mackenzie Crerand was cooking despite her team's loss, going 1-for-2 with one home run.

Meanwhile, Wellington was not the first on the board on Wednesday, but they got there more often. They came out on top against West Broward by a score of 7-3.

Tori Payne made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she struck out nine batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off seven hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in 11 consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-3.

Payne wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Angelina Baronci, who went 1-for-4 with two RBI.

Wellington's win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 12-2. Those road victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.5 runs over those games. As for Berkeley Prep, their loss dropped their record down to 8-5.

The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Berkeley Prep has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.2 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Wellington struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.