Crusaders
| 04/21/26 vs Sumner | 8 |
| 04/15/26 @ Academy of the Holy Names | 4 |
| 04/14/26 vs Montverde Academy | 1 |
| 03/31/26 @ Calvary Christian | 3 |
| 03/25/26 vs Archbishop Wood | 11 |
| + 11 more games |
The Tampa Catholic Crusaders will square off against the Berkeley Prep Buccaneers at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. Tampa Catholic is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.2 runs per game this season.
Tampa Catholic took a loss when they played away from home two weeks ago, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed last Tuesday. They walked away with an 8-3 victory over Sumner. The win was a breath of fresh air for the Crusaders as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.
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. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in 13 consecutive appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Aubrey Beauchaine, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Jada Johnson, who went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
Tampa Catholic was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .407. They are 4-1 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, with a playoff win on the line, Berkeley Prep rose to the challenge on Tuesday. They blew past the Patriots 12-3. The Buccaneers' offense finally found a way to get into gear: the high-octane performance was a 180-degree turn from their last three games.
Claire Patchen and Hannah Cronin were major factors no matter where they played. 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. Those six strikeouts gave Patchen a new career-high. 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.
In other batting news, Paige Quinn was incredible, going 2-for-3 with two triples, three RBI, and two runs. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in February. Avery Malin was another key player, going 2-for-3 with three runs and one RBI.
The victory got Tampa Catholic back to even at 8-8. As for Berkeley Prep, their win bumped their record up to 3-14.
Everything went Tampa Catholic's way against Berkeley Prep in their previous matchup back in March, as Tampa Catholic made off with a 6-0 victory. Do the Crusaders have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Buccaneers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
