The Bishop McLaughlin Catholic Hurricanes are taking a road trip to square off against the Berkeley Prep Buccaneers at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Bishop McLaughlin Catholic 4, Berkeley Prep 2.7) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Bishop McLaughlin Catholic is headed into Tuesday's game looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their fourth straight game on Friday. They were a single run away from ending the streak, but they lost a 3-2 heartbreaker at the hands of Carrollwood Day.
Dylan McNeil was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he tossed six innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits. He has been consistent : he hasn't given up more than two walks in five consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Steele Thalleen was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring two runs while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances. Another player making a difference was Tyler Pizzo, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with one triple and one RBI.
The home team had won the previous three meetings between Berkeley Prep and Lakewood Ranch, and Lakewood Ranch kept the tradition alive. The Buccaneers fell just short of the Mustangs by a score of 6-5 on Friday.
Ben O'Brien was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. He pitched five innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off three hits. O'Brien was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases.
O'Brien wasn't the only one making solid contact as six players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Parker Mitzel, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4. Mitzel also put up a triple, which was his first of the season.
Bishop McLaughlin Catholic's record is now 9-11. As for Berkeley Prep, their record now sits at 16-7.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Bishop McLaughlin Catholic has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Berkeley Prep struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 9.4 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Bishop McLaughlin Catholic came out on top in a nail-biter against Berkeley Prep in their previous meeting back in March, sneaking past 2-1. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Hurricanes since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
