Softball Preview: Cranston West Falcons vs. Pilgrim Patriots
Cranston West is 0-8 against Pilgrim since May of 2017 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Sunday. The Cranston West Falcons will be staying on the road to face off against the Pilgrim Patriots. Cranston West is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 7.4 runs per game this season.
Cranston West is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Rhode Island's top teams: La Salle Academy, who was ranked first in their home state at the time (Cranston West was ranked sixth). Cranston West lost 14-4 to La Salle Academy on Thursday.
Sofia Marella made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 2-for-2 with a home run and three RBI. Another player making a difference was Sam Healy, who went 1-for-2 with a home run.
Meanwhile, with a playoff game on the line, Pilgrim rose to the challenge on Friday. They skirted past the Oakers 6-4.
Gretchen Dombeck spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered four runs (all of which were unearned) on six hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't pitched less than five innings every time she's pitched this season.
On the hitting side, Audra McDonnell was excellent, going 2-for-4 with three RBI and a double. The team also got some help courtesy of Marin Prest, who scored a run and stole two bases while going 1-for-4.
Cranston West's defeat ended a three-game streak of away wins and brought them to 14-8. As for Pilgrim, they have been performing well recently as they've won nine of their last 11 games, which provided a nice bump to their 14-6 record this season.
Sunday's match will be a test for both team's pitchers. Cranston West hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .331. However, it's not like Pilgrim struggles in that department as they've averaged .317. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Cranston West might still be hurting after the 7-1 loss they got from Pilgrim in their previous matchup back in April. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Dombeck, who struck out seven batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off seven hits (and only one walk). Now that Cranston West knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
