The Bishop McLaughlin Catholic Hurricanes will head out on the road to challenge the Berkeley Prep Buccaneers at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Bishop McLaughlin Catholic not only won on Thursday, but they posted their biggest win since April 14, 2025 (when they won 9-3). They put the hurt on Springstead with a sharp 8-2 win.
Armando Persia and Owen Anderson dominated on the mound. Persia pitched four innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits, while Anderson tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Conner McGuire, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, one triple, and two RBI. He also put up a double, which was his first of the season. Lucas Zarlenga was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two stolen bases and one run.
Meanwhile, Berkeley Prep was able to grind out a solid victory over Lakeland Christian on Tuesday, taking the game 9-6. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Buccaneers.
Berkeley Prep also got a great performance from Nolan Parmer as he didn't allow a single earned run while striking out nine over 4.2 innings pitched. Parmer has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up a single earned run any time he's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Jett Walters and Carson Binder did most of the damage at the plate: Walters got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one home run and two RBI, while Binder went 2-for-4 with one home run, two RBI, and one double. That's the most RBI Walters has posted since back in April of 2025. Another player making a difference was Josh Herrmann, who went 1-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base.
Bishop McLaughlin Catholic now has a winning record of 4-3. As for Berkeley Prep, they now also have a winning record of 4-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Bishop McLaughlin Catholic has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Berkeley Prep struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7 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 couldn't quite finish off Berkeley Prep when the teams last played back in May of 2025 and fell 5-3. Can the Hurricanes avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
