The Mater Academy Charter Lions will play host again on Friday to welcome the Suncoast Chargers, where first pitch is scheduled at 6:30 p.m. The last three games Mater Academy Charter has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
On Wednesday, Mater Academy Charter narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past American Heritage 2-1.
Jonathan Leyva tossed a big game, pitching 5.1 innings while giving up just one earned run off three hits. Kevin Clemente picked up the save, pitching 1.2 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (he also only allowed one walk).
On the hitting side, Mater Academy Charter's victory was truly a team effort as five different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Larry Rodriguez, who went 2-for-2 with a stolen base and an RBI.
Meanwhile, Suncoast earned a 5-1 win over Okeechobee on Wednesday. That's two games straight that Suncoast has won by exactly four runs.
Brady Benevides spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned run on seven hits and racked up ten Ks. He has been consistent recently: he hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in five consecutive pitching appearances.
At the plate, the team relied heavily on Hayden Neihoff, who went 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Manuel Ones, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4.
Mater Academy Charter's victory bumped their record up to 6-4. As for Suncoast, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won eight of their last nine matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 10-2 record this season.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Friday as both teams have some strikeout artists on the roster. Mater Academy Charter has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 9 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Suncoast struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.8 per game. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
