Chariho hasn't had much luck against Central recently, but that could start to change on Tuesday. The Chargers will face off against the Knights at 4:00 p.m.
Chariho fell victim to Westerly and their airtight pitching crew on Saturday. They took a 4-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Bulldogs. The Chargers just can't catch a break and have now endured three defeats in a row.
Meanwhile, Central entered their tilt with Toll Gate on Wednesday with two consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with three. They came out on top against the Titans by a score of 5-1.
Jonas Diaz spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on four hits and racked up eight Ks. He is becoming a predictor of Central's success: when he allows at most two earned runs the team is undefeated (and 4-5 when he doesn't).
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Maikel Soriano, who went 2-for-4 with three RBI, one run, and one double. Those three RBI gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Yadiel Ventura, who went 2-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base.
Central was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .407. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Toll Gate only posted a batting average of .167.
Central's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-5. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for Chariho, they now have a losing record of 7-8.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Tuesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Chariho has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 8.6 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Central struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.6 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Chariho couldn't quite get it done against Central when the teams last played back in April as they fell 3-0. Can the Chargers avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
