The Berkeley Prep Buccaneers will face off against the Bloomingdale Bulls at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The last four games Berkeley Prep has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Berkeley Prep is probably headed into the contest with a chip on their shoulder considering Palm Harbor University just ended the team's five-game winning streak on Thursday. They fell just short of the Hurricanes by a score of 3-2.
Berkeley Prep saw four different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Paige Quinn, who scored a run while going 2-for-3. Olivia Malin also deserves some recognition as she snagged her first stolen base of the season.
Meanwhile, Bloomingdale came tearing into Thursday's match with three straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 5.7 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They skirted past the Stingrays 12-10. That's two games straight that the Bulls have won by exactly two runs.
Lindsay Cable made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she tossed 5.1 innings while giving up just one earned run off five hits. That's the fewest earned runs she has allowed since back in February. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two runs and one triple.
In other batting news, Bloomingdale let Marley Boucher and Olivia Anderson run wild. Boucher went 2-for-5 with three runs, one triple, and two RBI, while Anderson went 2-for-4 with three runs, one triple, and one double. Those three runs gave Anderson a new career-high. Paige Sanchez was another key player, scoring two runs while going 1-for-4.
Bloomingdale kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. They are a perfect 6-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Berkeley Prep's loss dropped their record down to 8-3. As for Bloomingdale, their victory bumped their record up to 9-4.
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 8.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Bloomingdale struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 9.3 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.