The IMater Charter Knights will head out to take on the Coral Reef Barracudas at 3:30 p.m. on Monday. IMater Charter's pitching crew has only allowed 3.8 runs per game this season, so Coral Reef's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
While iMater Charter's win against Sports Leadership & Management wasn't quite the blowout it was the last time the pair played, they still came out on top. The Knights had just enough and edged out Sports Leadership & Management 8-7 on Friday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Knights.
Luis Hernandez looked comfortable as he tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Alexey Fuentes, who scored two runs and stole three bases while getting on base in three of his five plate appearances. Those three stolen bases gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Jayden Castillo, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-5.
Meanwhile, Coral Reef came up short against Sunset on Thursday and fell 9-4.
Coral Reef also got a good showing from Ramon Menendez, who tossed 2.2 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Menendez has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two hits in nine consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Coral Reef saw three different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Oscar Sanchez, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI. Moises Gallardo also deserves some recognition as he scored his first run of the season.
Coral Reef's loss was their fourth straight on the road, which dropped their record down to 6-15. As for iMater Charter, their record is now 15-5-1.
Monday's match might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. IMater Charter has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .447. However, it's not like Coral Reef struggles in that department as they've averaged .451. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
IMater Charter couldn't quite get it done against Coral Reef when the teams last played back in March of 2021 as they fell 8-5. Can the Knights avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
