The Tohopekaliga Tigers will challenge the Cornerstone Charter Academy Ducks at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. The timing is sure in Tohopekaliga's favor as the squad sits on six straight wins at home while Cornerstone Charter Academy has been banged up by ten consecutive losses on the road.
Tohopekaliga had to skate by with only a two-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 13-run drubbing they dealt Liberty on Wednesday. The Tigers blew past the Chargers 14-1. The result was nothing new for the Tigers, who have now won six games by six runs or more so far this season.
Ronniel Mercedes
| 04/09/25 vs Liberty | 5 |
| 03/03/25 vs Osceola | 0 |
| 02/11/25 @ Cocoa | 6 |
Ronniel Mercedes and Cristian Viali made a big impact no matter where they played. Throwing, Mercedes pitched two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Meanwhile, 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 bat, 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. Viali has become a key player for Tohopekaliga: the team is 6-2 when he posts at least two runs, but 4-7 otherwise.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Fernando Ferrer, who went 2-for-3 with three runs, three RBI, and one triple. Tohopekaliga is undefeated when Ferrer posts three or more RBI, but 7-9 otherwise. The team also got some help courtesy of Hudson Moberly, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3.
Tohopekaliga kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, Cornerstone Charter Academy didn't have quite enough to beat Geneva on Wednesday and fell 3-2.
Like Tohopekaliga, Cornerstone Charter Academy also got a great game from a two-way player: Efrain Rivera. He didn't allow a single earned run while striking out eight over five innings pitched. Rivera has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in nine consecutive appearances. He was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring two runs and stealing four bases while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Tohopekaliga now has a winning record of 10-9. As for Cornerstone Charter Academy, their loss dropped their record down to 2-14.
Cornerstone Charter Academy's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Tohopekaliga has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .447. It's a different story for Cornerstone Charter Academy, though, as they've only averaged .324. Will they be able to contain Tohopekaliga's hitters?
Tohopekaliga took their victory against Cornerstone Charter Academy in their previous matchup back in March of 2022 by a conclusive 15-0 score. Do the Tigers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Ducks turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
