Baseball Game Preview: Central Cobras vs. Centennial Eagles

Central and Centennial are an even 5-5 against one another since March of 2021, but likely not for long. The Cobras will head out to take on the Eagles at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.

Central blew Sebastian River out of the water the last time the pair played, but on Tuesday Sebastian River got their revenge. The Cobras fell just short of the Sharks by a score of 4-2. It was the first time this season that the Cobras let down their fans at home.

Rupert Blackwood Jr

Batters Struck Out

04/08/25 vs Sebastian River	14
04/03/25 vs Centennial	7
03/28/25 vs Treasure Coast	11
03/11/25 @ Satellite	6
03/03/25 @ Dwyer	9

Rupert Blackwood Jr was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he struck out 14 batters over six innings while giving up just two earned (and two unearned) runs off three hits. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't tossed less than six strikeouts in five consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Central saw five different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Jakobe Blackwood, who scored a run and stole a base while going 2-for-4. Blackwood also hit a double, marking his first of the season.

Meanwhile, Centennial has relied on a stalwart pitchers averaging 4.05 runs allowed per game, but that average took a hit on Friday. They lost 14-5 to Okeechobee. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat the Eagles have suffered since March 11th.

Jacob Muscerella was cooking despite his team's loss, scoring a run and stealing two bases while going 2-for-4. The team also got some help courtesy of Giovanni Lopez, who went 1-for-3 with one double and one RBI.

This is the second loss in a row for Central and nudges their season record down to 11-9-1. Even worse, they were so close both times: the losses came by an average of only 1.5 runs. As for Centennial, they have been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four matches. That's put a noticeable dent in their 12-10 record this season.

Central came out on top in a nail-biter against Centennial when the teams last played last Thursday, sneaking past 5-4. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Cobras since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.