The Buchholz Bobcats will head out to face off against the Tampa Catholic Crusaders at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Buchholz has given up an average of 6.6 runs per game this season, so hopefully the team got some pitching drills in this week.
Buchholz might be feeling deja-vu: they lost 11-2 to Gainesville, which was the same score (and result) they got the week prior. The Bobcats have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Juliana Abraham made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went a perfect 1-for-1 with one home run.
Meanwhile, Tampa Catholic hadn't done well against Academy of the Holy Names recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. Tampa Catholic skirted past Academy of the Holy Names 9-7. With that victory, the Crusaders brought their scoring average up to 6.1 runs per game.
Olivia Ricciardi made a big impact no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out six over 4.1 innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in six consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one triple. That triple marked the first that she hit this season.
In other batting news, Jada Johnson and Bella Busciglio did most of the damage at the plate: Johnson went 1-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs, while Busciglio scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4. That's the most hits Busciglio has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Raegan Kirchen, who scored two runs while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
Tampa Catholic kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least eight hits in four consecutive matches.
Buchholz's defeat dropped their record down to 7-3. As for Tampa Catholic, they now have a winning record of 5-4.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Friday. Buchholz hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.5 home runs per game. However, it's not like Tampa Catholic struggles in that department as they've been averaging 0.4 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more softball content.
