vs
| 04/18/24 - Away | 6-3 W |
| 04/14/22 - Away | 12-2 W |
| 04/15/21 - Home | 9-2 W |
| 04/18/19 - Away | 7-2 W |
| 04/16/19 - Home | 9-6 W |
| + 3 more games |
Independence has gone 7-1 against Berkshire recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Thursday. The Blue Devils will take on the Badgers at 5:00 p.m. Independence's pitching crew has only allowed 2.8 runs per game this season, so Berkshire's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Independence is probably headed into the matchup with a chip on their shoulder considering Beachwood just ended the team's seven-game winning streak on Wednesday. They fell 6-3 to the Bison.
Meanwhile, Berkshire gave up the first runs on Wednesday, but they didn't let that get them down. They walked away with a 6-1 win over Rootstown.
Sam Barcikoski made a big impact no matter where he played. On the mound, he struck out nine batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off five hits (and only one walk). He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one walk in six consecutive appearances. He was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run. He is becoming a predictor of Berkshire's success: when he posts at least two stolen bases the team is 2-1 (and 2-3 when he doesn't).
In other pitching news, Paden Brent looked comfortable as he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two hits in three consecutive appearances.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Christopher Brancel, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs and one stolen base. That stolen base marked the first that he has snagged this season. Another player making a difference was Patrick Brancel, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI and one run.
Independence's defeat was their first in the conference, dropping their conference record down to 4-1 and their overall record down to 7-2. As for Berkshire, the victory got them back to even at 4-4.
Independence was able to grind out a solid win over Berkshire in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, winning 6-3. Do the Blue Devils have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Badgers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
