The Vero Beach Indians will head out to face off against the Centennial Eagles at 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Vero Beach will be coming into the match with an undefeated record on the line.
Vero Beach had to skate by with only a two-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the 12-run drubbing they dealt Central on Friday. Vero Beach was the clear victors by a 12-0 margin over Central. Considering the Indians' hitters had been struggling lately, the high-scoring outing was a much-needed turnaround.
Caleb Wood was a standout: he scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances. Jordan Tomas also deserves some recognition as he hit his first double of the season.
Vero Beach always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .621. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Central only posted an OBP of .176.
Fans were treated to a battle of the Eagles on Friday. Centennial skirted past Calvary Christian Academy 2-1.
Michael DiDonato spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on three hits and racked up six Ks. He has become a key player for Centennial: the team is undefeated when he allows at most one earned run, but 1-2 otherwise.
At the plate, Centennial let Nathaniel Rodriguez and Yohalberth Romero run wild. Rodriguez scored a run and stole two bases while getting on base in two of his three plate appearances, while Romero scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-3.
Vero Beach's win was their 17th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 5-0. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 7.4 runs over those games. As for Centennial, their record is now 4-2.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Tuesday as neither team is afraid to steal. Vero Beach has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 4.6 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Centennial struggles in that department as they've been averaging 2.7 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
Vero Beach was able to grind out a solid victory over Centennial in their previous matchup back in April of 2024, winning 3-0. The rematch might be a little tougher for Vero Beach since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
