vs
| 03/17/25 - Home | 4-3 W |
| 02/11/25 - Home | 3-2 W |
| 03/20/24 - Home | 6-4 W |
| 03/29/23 - Home | 10-0 W |
| 04/05/22 - Away | 7-3 W |
| + 2 more games |
Tampa Catholic is a perfect 7-0 against Carrollwood Day since March of 2021 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The Crusaders will face off against the Patriots at 7:00 p.m. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Tampa Catholic 3, Carrollwood Day 3) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Tampa Catholic is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They won by a run and slipped past Bishop McLaughlin Catholic 7-6. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Crusaders have posted since March 19th.
Tampa Catholic got a great performance from Talan Miranda as he tossed five innings while giving up three earned runs off four hits. Miranda has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Jose Carrero, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and two RBI. That's the most runs he has posted since back in April of 2024. Dominic Woodward also deserves some recognition as he hit his first triple of the season.
Meanwhile, Carrollwood Day hadn't done well against Berkeley Prep recently (they were 0-9 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. The Patriots had just enough and edged out the Buccaneers 5-4. The victory was familiar territory for the Patriots, who have now won three matchups in a row.
Nick Riedel tossed a big game, striking out ten batters over seven innings while giving up three earned runs off five hits.
On the hitting side, Steven Vargo was incredible, scoring three runs and stealing four bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. He continues to improve, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. Another player making a difference was Julian Earle, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.
Tampa Catholic's record is now 19-7. As for Carrollwood Day, their record now sits at 15-7.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Tampa Catholic has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Carrollwood Day struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.2 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Tampa Catholic came out on top in a nail-biter against Carrollwood Day when the teams last played back in March, sneaking past 4-3. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Crusaders since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
