The Berkeley Prep Buccaneers will challenge the Tampa Catholic Crusaders at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Berkeley Prep is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They were the clear victors by a 12-3 margin over Carrollwood Day. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Buccaneers as it put an end to their eight-game losing streak.
Claire Patchen and Hannah Cronin made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, Patchen didn't allow a single earned run while striking out six over four innings pitched. Meanwhile, Cronin struck out six batters over three innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. Patchen has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in ten consecutive appearances. At the plate, Patchen went 2-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double, while Cronin went 1-for-3 with two runs and two RBI. That's the most RBI Patchen has posted since back in April of 2025.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Paige Quinn, who went 2-for-3 with two triples, three RBI, and two runs. Those two triples gave her a new career-high. Reese Kurland also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Berkeley Prep was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .400. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Carrollwood Day only posted a batting average of .185.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Tampa Catholic, who bounced back after a loss on the road two weeks ago. They came out on top against Sumner by a score of 8-3 last Tuesday.
Olivia Ricciardi spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned (and two unearned) runs on four hits.
At the plate, Aubrey Beauchaine was incredible, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. Jada Johnson was another key player, going 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
The win got Tampa Catholic back to even at 8-8. As for Berkeley Prep, their record now sits at 3-14.
Berkeley Prep might still be hurting after the 6-0 loss they got from Tampa Catholic in their previous matchup back in March. Can the Buccaneers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
