Centennial and Basic are an even 5-5 against one another since May of 2016, but likely not for long. The Bulldogs will face off against the Wolves at 3:30 p.m. on Monday. Basic took a loss in their last match and will be looking to turn the tables on Centennial, who comes in off a win.
Centennial lost a heartbreaker the last time they played Rancho, but it's fair to say they got their revenge given the result of Thursday's contest. The Bulldogs put the hurt on the Rams with a sharp 15-5 victory on Thursday. The Bulldogs might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won ten games by seven runs or more this season.
Tyler Osburn made a splash while hitting and pitching. He pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Osburn was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and one triple. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in RBI (two).
Gabriel Soto
| 04/17/25 vs Rancho | 0 |
| 03/31/25 vs Palo Verde | 1 |
| 03/20/25 vs Mountain Vista | 1 |
In other pitching news, Gabriel Soto looked comfortable as he pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. He has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than one walk in three consecutive appearances.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Tyler Jackson, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and two doubles. That's the most hits he has posted since back in March. Preston Clemmons also deserves some recognition as he scored his first run of the season.
Centennial always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .610. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Rancho only posted an OBP of .333.
Meanwhile, Basic faced Centennial in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Wednesday. The Wolves fell just short of the Bulldogs by a score of 4-3. The Wolves' defeat signaled the end of their five-game winning streak.
Lincoln Evans was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he struck out seven batters over 4.1 innings while giving up three earned runs off five hits (and not a single walk). What's more, he gave up only zero walks, the fewest he's had since back in March.
On the hitting side, Tate Southisene was cooking despite his team's loss, going 2-for-3 with one home run and two RBI.
The win made it two in a row for Centennial and bumps their season record up to 17-9. The victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.5 runs over those games. As for Basic, their loss dropped their record down to 14-5.
Monday's matchup will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Centennial hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .337. However, it's not like Basic struggles in that department as they've averaged .342. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Centennial came out on top in a nail-biter against Basic when the teams last played on Wednesday, sneaking past 4-3. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Bulldogs since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
