A feisty cat fight will be fought as Pembroke Pines Charter Jaguars face off against Mater Academy Charter Lions at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average, (Pembroke Pines Charter 3.4, Mater Academy Charter 4.1) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Pembroke Pines Charter fought the good fight in their extra-innings match against Coral Springs on Wednesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Colts by a score of 6-5.
Dean Jaworski
| 03/12/25 vs Coral Springs | 9 |
| 03/04/25 vs South Broward | 7 |
| 02/28/25 vs Nova | 0 |
| 02/26/25 @ South Broward | 4 |
| 02/24/25 vs Monarch | 6 |
| + 4 more games |
Dean Jaworski was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he struck out nine batters over 5.1 innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off three hits. That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in April of 2024.
At the plate, Justin Probst and Eric Molina stepped up to the plate in a big way. Probst went 3-for-4 with two RBI, while Molina got on base in all five of his plate appearances with one RBI. Those three hits gave Probst a new career-high. Brady Mongera was another key player, scoring three runs while going 1-for-4.
Even though they lost, Pembroke Pines Charter kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least ten hits in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Mater Academy Charter has relied on a stalwart pitchers averaging 4.08 runs allowed per game, but that average took a hit on Monday. They had just enough and edged out Hialeah Educational Academy 11-10. 11 seems to be a good number for the Lions as the team scooped up a victory with the same number of runs in their previous game.
Adrian Pena looked comfortable as he pitched three innings while giving up no earned runs off four hits. He also tossed no walks, which is notable because Mater Academy Charter is undefeated when he allows at most one walk, but 4-6 otherwise.
On the hitting side, Bryan Aritta was incredible, going 2-for-4 with one home run, five RBI, and one double. That home run was his first of the season. Another player making a difference was Jonathan Esponda, who scored two runs while going 3-for-4.
Mater Academy Charter is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 7-6 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.0 runs over those games. Pembroke Pines Charter's loss dropped their record down to 6-5-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Pembroke Pines Charter has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Mater Academy Charter struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Pembroke Pines Charter came up short against Mater Academy Charter when the teams last played back in April of 2024, falling 10-7. Can Pembroke Pines Charter avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
