The Berkeley Prep Buccaneers will head out on the road to take on the Horizon Hawks at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.
Berkeley Prep was handed a heart-breaking two-run defeat in their last match, but they sure didn't let that happen against Canterbury on Tuesday. Berkeley Prep's pitchers stepped up to hand Canterbury a 14-0 shutout. The Buccaneers haven't had any issues with the Crusaders recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive win against them.
Avery Powers was a major factor no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only a hit while striking out nine over four innings pitched. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up a single walks any time she's pitched this season. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-2 with three RBI and one double. Those three RBI gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Mackenzie Crerand, who scored two runs while going 3-for-3. Holland Poe was another key player, scoring three runs while going 1-for-3.
Berkeley Prep always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .515. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Canterbury only posted an OBP of .118.
Meanwhile, Horizon put another one in the bag on Wednesday to keep their perfect season alive. They blew past South Lake 11-1. Fans of the Hawks have seen this all before: every one of the games they've played this season has ended in a blowout of 6+ runs.
Mackenzie Duncan looked comfortable as she tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits.
On the hitting side, Jordan Schwenneker was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing three bases while going 2-for-2. Another player making a difference was Maryn Nealy, who scored two runs and stole three bases while going 1-for-3.
Horizon's victory was their tenth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-0. As for Berkeley Prep, they now have a winning record of 2-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Berkeley Prep has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 12.3 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Horizon struggles in that department as they've been averaging 10.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
