The Central Knights are taking a road trip to take on the Chariho Chargers at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Central will come into the contest with an undefeated record on the line.
Central had to skate by with only a two-run margin when they last took the field, which might have inspired the seven-run drubbing they dealt St. Raphael Academy on Wednesday. The Knights were the clear victors by a 13-6 margin over the Saints. While the Knights didn't have the best season last year (they finished 6-16), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past.
AJ Vega and Jonas Diaz were a major factor no matter where they played. On the mound, Vega pitched four innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off two hits. Meanwhile, Diaz pitched three innings while giving up just one earned run off one hit. At the plate, Vega scored three runs while getting on base in all four of his plate appearances, while Diaz went 2-for-5 with four RBI, two runs, and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Braulio Franco, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with three RBI and one double.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Chariho). They walked away with an 8-3 win over Prout on Wednesday.
Like Central, Chariho also got a great game from a two-way player: Adam Carpenter. On the mound, he struck out seven batters over 6.2 innings while giving up three earned runs off eight hits. Carpenter was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with four RBI.
In other batting news, Noah Holland was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in all three of his plate appearances. Gavin Apice was another key player, scoring two runs while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Central's record now sits at 4-0. As for Chariho, the victory got them back to even at 2-2.
Chariho's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Central hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .349. It's a different story for Chariho, though, as they've only averaged .203. Will they be able to contain Central's hitters?
Central skirted past Chariho 5-4 when the teams last played back in June of 2021. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Knights since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
