The Centennial Eagles will hit the road for the first time this season to challenge the Vero Beach Indians at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Centennial's pitching crew heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Thursday. They put the hurt on South Fork with a sharp 6-0 win. The victory continues a trend for the Eagles in their matchups with the Bulldogs: they've now won four in a row.
Hailey Brereton was a major factor no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and allowed only two hits while striking out 14 over seven innings pitched. She has been consistent : she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one home run, four RBI, and one triple. That triple was her first of the season.
Brereton wasn't the only one making solid contact as four players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Autumn Prakash, who scored a run while going 1-for-2. Prakash also put up a double, which was her first of the season.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Vero Beach, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Tuesday. They were the clear victor by a 10-3 margin over Jensen Beach on Friday. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last four times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Like Centennial, Vero Beach also got a great game from a two-way player: Gabrielle Espich. She didn't allow a single earned run while striking out eight over seven innings pitched. What's more, Espich gave up only one walk, the fewest she's had since back in April of 2024. She was also big at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base while going 1-for-3.
In other batting news, Kylie Williams was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-4. Trinity Bishop was another key player, scoring two runs while going 1-for-3.
Vero Beach kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They are a perfect 3-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Vero Beach now has a winning record of 5-4. As for Centennial, their record is now 5-1.
Centennial beat Vero Beach 5-2 when the teams last played on Tuesday. The rematch might be a little tougher for Centennial since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
