After both having extra time off, the Berkeley Prep Buccaneers and the Trinity Christian Academy Conquerors will shake off the cobwebs and hit the field against one another at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Berkeley Prep 2.6, Trinity Christian Academy 2.2) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Berkeley Prep is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup last Thursday. They had just enough and edged out Bishop McLaughlin Catholic 5-3. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Buccaneers.
Parker Mitzel was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run over 5.1 innings pitched. Mitzel was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-2 with two RBI and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Joseph Troupe, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and one double. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in March of 2024.
Meanwhile, Trinity Christian Academy came tearing into last Tuesday's match with seven straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 5.9 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 10-9 W against the Bucks. Ten seems to be a good number for the Conquerors as the team scooped up a victory with the same number of runs in their previous game.
Like Berkeley Prep, Trinity Christian Academy also got a great game from a two-way player: Tyler Ellis. He pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Ellis has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one hit in three consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
In other batting news, Aiden Arnett was incredible, going 4-for-5 with one home run, five RBI, and three runs. That home run was his first of the season. Brady Harris #2 was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Trinity Christian Academy pushed their record up to 29-4 with the win, which was their 14th straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.0 runs over those games. As for Berkeley Prep, their record now sits at 25-9.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Berkeley Prep has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Trinity Christian Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 10.5 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Berkeley Prep came up short against Trinity Christian Academy in their previous meeting back in February of 2015, falling 4-0. Can the Buccaneers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
