Softball Game Preview: Centennial Eagles vs. Hammond Golden Bears

The Centennial Eagles will venture away from home to challenge the Hammond Golden Bears at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Centennial has four straight victories, Hammond has six straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.

Centennial came out on top against Long Reach on Monday thanks in part to the team's impressive ten-run sixth inning. The Eagles put the hurt on the Lightning with a sharp 15-9 win. Considering the Eagles have won five contests by more than five runs this season, Monday's blowout was nothing new.

Julia Braganca

Stolen Base (Career)

04/28/25 @ Long Reach	2
04/22/25 vs Wilde Lake	1
04/09/25 vs Marriotts Ridge	1
04/08/25 @ Atholton	1
03/22/25 vs Howard	1

Centennial got a massive performance out of Julia Braganca, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with four runs, two stolen bases, and two RBI. Those two stolen bases gave Braganca a new career-high. Audray Zheng was another key player, going 3-for-5 with three stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs.

They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Centennial kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 18 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.

Meanwhile, Hammond came up short against Howard on Monday, falling 14-2.

Centennial's victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 7-4. Those road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.7 runs on average over those games. As for Hammond, their loss dropped their record down to 1-7.

Everything went Centennial's way against Hammond in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, as Centennial made off with a 21-5 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Eagles since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.