Berkeley Prep is 8-2 against Tampa Catholic since March of 2022 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Thursday. The Buccaneers will challenge the Crusaders at 6:00 p.m. Berkeley Prep knows how to get runs on the board -- the team has finished with ten runs or more in their past three contests -- so hopefully Tampa Catholic likes a good challenge.
Berkeley Prep is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. Everything went their way against Carrollwood Day as they made off with an 18-0 victory. The Buccaneers' pitching crew has been rock solid lately; the team hasn't given up a run in their last three matches.
Claire Patchen
| 04/29/25 vs Carrollwood Day | 3 |
| 03/11/25 @ Land O' Lakes | 2 |
| 02/25/25 vs Canterbury | 2 |
| 04/23/25 vs Hernando | 1 |
| 04/22/25 vs Carrollwood Day | 1 |
Claire Patchen was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she pitched one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been consistent: she hasn't given up more than one walk in five consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, three RBI, and one stolen base. Those three runs gave her a new career-high.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Ella Malin, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. Those two stolen bases gave her a new career-high. Logan Crerand also deserves some recognition as she got her first hits of the season.
Berkeley Prep always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .852. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their OBP total in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, after a string of three wins, Tampa Catholic's good fortune finally ran out last Tuesday. They fell just short of Academy of the Holy Names by a score of 4-3.
Lillie Bridges was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-4 with one stolen base and two RBI.
Berkeley Prep's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 13-9. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 12.7 runs over those games. As for Tampa Catholic, their loss was their first in the district, dropping their district record down to 2-1 and their overall record down to 10-8.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Berkeley Prep has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.5 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Tampa Catholic struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 6.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Berkeley Prep came up short against Tampa Catholic in their previous matchup on April 11th, falling 6-3. Can the Buccaneers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
