The Cornerstone Charter Academy Ducks will venture away from home to take on the Tohopekaliga Tigers at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Cornerstone Charter Academy has a tough task ahead: they'll enter the contest with four straight losses, while Tohopekaliga will come in with four straight victories.
On Wednesday, Cornerstone Charter Academy didn't have quite enough to beat Geneva and fell 3-2.
Efrain Rivera
| 02/11/25 @ Oak Ridge | 3 |
| 04/09/25 @ Geneva | 2 |
| 03/26/25 vs Four Corners | 2 |
| 04/03/25 @ Master's Academy | 1 |
| 04/02/25 @ Legacy Charter | 1 |
| + 5 more games |
Efrain Rivera was huge no matter where he played even without the win. He didn't allow a single earned run while striking out eight over five innings pitched. What's more, he gave up only zero earned runs, the fewest he's had since back in February. He was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing four bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances. Cornerstone Charter Academy is 2-1 when Rivera posts two or more runs, but 0-13 otherwise.
Meanwhile, after only two runs in their last game, Tohopekaliga made sure to put some runs up on the board against Liberty on Wednesday. The Tigers blew past the Chargers 14-1. The result was nothing new for the Tigers, who have now won six matches by six runs or more so far this season.
Like Cornerstone Charter Academy, Tohopekaliga also got a great game from a two-way player: Ronniel Mercedes. Throwing, Mercedes pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, Cristian Viali struck out eight batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits (and only one walk). What's more, Mercedes posted five strikeouts, the most he's had since back in February. At the plate, Mercedes scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-2, while Viali scored two runs and stole a base while going 1-for-3.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Fernando Ferrer, who went 2-for-3 with three runs, three RBI, and one triple. That's the most hits he has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Hudson Moberly, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
Tohopekaliga hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least four batters in four consecutive contests.
Tohopekaliga pushed their record up to 10-9 with the win, which was their sixth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.3 runs on average over those games. As for Cornerstone Charter Academy, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-14.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. Cornerstone Charter Academy has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Tohopekaliga struggles in that department as they've been averaging 3.4 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Cornerstone Charter Academy might still be hurting after the 15-0 loss they got from Tohopekaliga in their previous meeting back in March of 2022. Can the Ducks avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
