Herrmann paces Berkeley Prep in series evening Game 2 win

Berkeley Prep junior Josh Herrmann went 3-for-3 with a double, three runs scored and four RBI pacing the Buccaneers offense in an 11-2 win over Bishop McLaughlin in Game 2 of the Class 2A-3 Region Final series. The win evens the best-of-three series and forces a deciding Game 3 at Bishop McLaughlin on Thursday (813Preps file photo, Mike Camunas).

Staff Report

TAMPA – Berkeley Prep traded leads with Bishop McLaughlin in the early innings of Game 2 of the Class 2A-3 Region Final series, before the Buccaneers pulled away and junior righty Ben O’Brien held the Hurricanes at bay in an 11-2, series-leveling win.

The victory now forces a deciding Game 3 in the series, which now moves to Bishop McLaughlin on Thursday at 7 pm, with the winner on to the state final four in Fort Myers.

On Tuesday, Bishop McLaughlin (16-16) took a first-inning lead on an RBI single by Elvys Quezada, but the Bucs answered on a RBI sac fly by Carson Binder, which scored Josh Herrmann who reached on the first of his three hits in the game.

A pair of errors gave the Hurricanes another brief lead, but Berkeley Prep answered in the home-second tying the game on a double-steal, then took the lead on an RBI sac fly by Herrmann – who scored three times and added a two-run single and RBI double to the scoring tally.

O’Brien, who was also 3-for-3 at the plate, pitched 5 2/3 innings, allowing one earned run on four hits and a walk, while he struck out nine while earning his ninth win of the season on the mound. Sophomore Nolan Parmer finished off the final four outs, allowing one hit and striking out one.

Joseph Troupe and Lucas Farrar each had two hits and an RBI in the win, Binder drove in two, and Jett Walters was 1-for-3 with two runs scored.

⚾ Class 2A-Region 3 ⚾
Series tied 1-1

Berkeley Prep 11
Bishop McLaughlin 2

BM 110|000|0 – |2|5|2
BP  120|620|x – |11|12|3
W – O’Brien (9-1); L – Paszek (0-6)
2B – O’Brien, Herrmann (BP). Records – BM (16-16); BP (24-9).