The Ponaganset Chieftains will take on the Westerly Bulldogs at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Saturday, Ponaganset needed a bit of extra time to put away Portsmouth. They skirted past the Patriots 6-5. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Chieftains have posted since June 8, 2024.
Mattea Mello
| 05/03/25 vs Portsmouth | 11 |
| 05/01/25 vs North Kingstown | 13 |
| 04/30/25 @ St. Raphael Academy | 8 |
| 04/28/25 @ Smithfield | 5 |
| 04/25/25 @ East Providence | 11 |
| + 2 more games |
Mattea Mello made a splash while hitting and pitching. She struck out 11 batters over nine innings while giving up four earned (and one unearned) runs off nine hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in seven consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in four of her five plate appearances with one triple and one run. That triple marked the first that she has hit this season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Maia Salvo, who fired off two home runs, three RBI, and one stolen base while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances. That stolen base was her first of the season. Jillian Baris was another key player, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and one run.
Meanwhile, Westerly faced Cumberland in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Wednesday. The Bulldogs were the clear victors by a 12-3 margin over the Clippers. The Bulldogs might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five matchups by nine runs or more this season.
Addison Poole was incredible, going 4-for-5 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. Another player making a difference was Bella Mazzarese, who went 1-for-3 with one home run and three RBI.
Westerly kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 14 hits. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now got at least 11 hits in four consecutive contests.
The win made it two in a row for Ponaganset and bumps their season record up to 4-8. The victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered a grand total of 7 runs in those games. As for Westerly, they now have a winning record of 8-7.
Westerly's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Thursday. Ponaganset has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.5 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Westerly, though, as they've been averaging only 3.1 strikeouts. Will Ponaganset keep running through batters, or will the Bulldogs buck the trend?
Ponaganset skirted past Westerly 9-8 in their previous matchup back in June of 2024. Do the Chieftains have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Bulldogs turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
