The Centennial Bulldogs will head out to square off against the Faith Lutheran Crusaders at 4:00 p.m. on Monday. Centennial is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.2 runs per game this season.
Centennial lost a heartbreaker the last time they played Spring Valley, but it's fair to say they got their revenge given the result of Thursday's match. The Bulldogs never let the Grizzlies get on the board and left with a 12-0 victory on Thursday. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last five times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Gabriel Soto
| 04/24/25 vs Spring Valley | 2 |
| 04/17/25 vs Rancho | 0 |
| 03/31/25 vs Palo Verde | 1 |
| 03/20/25 vs Mountain Vista | 1 |
Centennial got a great performance from Gabriel Soto as he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit over five innings pitched. Soto has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Tyler Jackson was incredible, going 2-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. That's the most runs he has posted since back in February of 2024. Another player making a difference was Terrell Otis, who went 1-for-2 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Centennial hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least five batters in four consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Faith Lutheran faced Basic in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Friday. The Crusaders came out on top in a nail-biter against the Wolves, sneaking past 7-5. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last three times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Jordan Watkins tossed a big game, not allowing a single earned run over 5.1 innings pitched. He also tossed no earned runs, which is notable because Faith Lutheran is undefeated when he allows at most one earned run, but 12-13 otherwise.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Rouselle Shepard, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, four RBI, and two runs. He is becoming a predictor of Faith Lutheran's success: when he posts at least two runs the team is 7-1 (and 9-12 when he doesn't). Eli Leone was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.
Faith Lutheran's win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 16-13. The home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.8 runs over those games. As for Centennial, their record is now 18-11.
Monday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Centennial hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .340. However, it's not like Faith Lutheran struggles in that department as they've averaged .325. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Centennial might still be hurting after the 8-1 loss they got from Faith Lutheran when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Can the Bulldogs avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
