Winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask STEAM Academy at McCluer South Berkeley). They blew past the Hazelwood Central Hawks 14-4 on Tuesday. Perhaps unsurprisingly given the team's high-flying offense, the game also marked the team's biggest win of the season.
Dylan Merkle made a big impact no matter where he played. He struck out nine batters over five innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off four hits. Merkle was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 2-for-4. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in doubles (two).
In other batting news, Nicolis Phillips was a standout: he scored two runs and stole three bases while going 1-for-2. That hit was his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Duecy Mason, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
STEAM Academy at McCluer South Berkeley always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .581. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Hazelwood Central only posted an OBP of .320.
Bulldogs
| 04/08/25 vs Hazelwood Central | 14-4 |
| 03/26/25 vs Maplewood-Richmond Heights | 9-5 |
| 05/13/24 vs University City | 22-12 |
| 05/02/24 vs Jennings | 12-1 |
| 04/30/24 vs Hazelwood East | 13-0 |
| + 3 more games |
STEAM Academy at McCluer South Berkeley's victory was their eighth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 3-1. Those home wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.0 runs over those games. As for Hazelwood Central, their loss dropped their record down to 3-2.
Looking ahead, STEAM Academy at McCluer South Berkeley will head out to challenge McCluer North at 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday. The Stars have struggled to contain batters this season (they've allowed 11.5 runs per game on average), something the Bulldogs will no doubt try to take advantage of. As for Hazelwood Central, they will host Normandy at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
