The Centennial Eagles will head out on the road to square off against the Central Cobras at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. Centennial's pitching crew has only allowed 3.2 runs per game this season, so Central's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
On Wednesday, Centennial was able to grind out a solid victory over South Fork, taking the game 6-3.
Darren Ochoa was excellent, going 1-for-2 with two RBI and one double. The team also got some help courtesy of Jacob Muscerella, who scored a run and stole a base while going 1-for-4.
Centennial hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post two or more strikeouts.
Meanwhile, after only two runs in their last game, Central made sure to put some runs up on the board against Lincoln Park Academy on Wednesday. The Cobras never let the Greyhounds get on the board and left with a 12-0 win. That looming 12-0 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Cobras yet this season.
Evan Schultz tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out nine over five innings pitched. Those nine strikeouts gave him a new career-high.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Jakobe Blackwood, who scored a run and stole a base while going 3-for-4. Chad DeVries also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.
The victory (which was Central's third in a row) raised their record to 9-7-1. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.0 runs over those games. As for Centennial, their record now sits at 10-7-1.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Centennial has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Centennial came up short against Central in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, falling 9-4. Can the Eagles avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
