The South Dade Buccaneers will head out to challenge the Mater Academy Charter Lions at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The last seven games South Dade has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
South Dade took a six-run loss the last time they faced off against Sunset, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. South Dade skirted past Sunset 6-4.
South Dade got a great performance from Angel Ayala as he tossed six innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off seven hits.
At the plate, Luis Alejandro Mora was excellent, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 2-for-4. The team also got some help courtesy of Jonel Lluveras, who scored a run while going 3-for-3.
Meanwhile, Mater Academy Charter waltzed into their contest on Friday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They came within a single run of losing the streak, but they secured a 5-4 W against the Jaguars. That's two games straight that the Lions have won by just one run.
Gerald Barcelo looked comfortable as he struck out seven batters over 3.2 innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits (and only one walk). Those seven strikeouts gave him a new career-high.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Eiker Noriega, who scored two runs and stole Three bases. while going 2-for-4. The dominant performance gave him a new career-high in stolen bases.
Mater Academy Charter pushed their record up to 8-6 with the win, which was their 11th straight at home dating back to last season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.4 runs on average over those games. As for South Dade, they have been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matches. That's provided a massive bump to their 6-7 record this season.
South Dade's speedy runners might be the difference in Tuesday's game. South Dade has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.2 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Mater Academy Charter, though, as they've been averaging only 1.2 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will South Dade continue to outrun the ball? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other baseball content.
