The Suncoast Chargers will face off against the Central Cobras at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. The timing is sure in Suncoast's favor as the team sits on three straight wins at home while Central has been banged up by four consecutive losses on the road.
Suncoast barely beat Port St. Lucie the last time the pair played, but that sure wasn't the case this time around. Suncoast never let Port St. Lucie get on the board and left with an 11-0 win on Thursday. The contest marked the Chargers' most dominant victory of the season so far.
Hayden Neihoff looked comfortable as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only a hit over four innings pitched. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Suncoast is 2-1 when he allows at most one earned run, but 1-2 otherwise.
Lee Ellis
| 02/27/25 vs Port St. Lucie | 5 |
| 05/07/24 @ Mater Academy Charter | 4 |
| 03/01/24 @ Central | 3 |
| 04/18/24 vs Treasure Coast | 2 |
| 04/16/24 vs Oxbridge Academy | 2 |
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Lee Ellis, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with five RBI, three runs, and two doubles. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in RBI. Another player making a difference was Joshua Burnston, who went 1-for-2 with four RBI, one triple, and one stolen base.
Suncoast always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .700. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Central came into Thursday's game having lost four straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They came out on top against Melbourne Central Catholic by a score of 9-5 on Thursday. With that win, the Cobras brought their scoring average up to 6.2 runs per game.
Central also got a great performance from Rupert Blackwood Jr as he didn't allow a single earned run over 4.1 innings pitched. What's more, Blackwood Jr gave up only zero earned runs, the fewest he's had since February 4th.
At the plate, Owen Ruel was incredible, going 1-for-3 with one home run and four RBI. That home run was his first of the season. Timothy Stevens was another key player, scoring a run while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances.
The victory got Suncoast back to even at 3-3. As for Central, their win bumped their record up to 6-4-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Suncoast has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging 7.9 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Suncoast took their victory against Central in their previous matchup back in March of 2024 by a conclusive 10-0. Does Suncoast have another victory up their sleeve, or will Central turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
