Ponaganset hasn't had much luck against St. Raphael Academy recently, but that could start to change on Wednesday. The Chieftains will challenge the Saints at 4:30 p.m. Ponaganset has given up an average of 9.3 runs per game this season, but Wednesday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Ponaganset is headed into Wednesday's contest looking for a big change in momentum after dropping their fifth straight game on Monday. They lost 15-4 to Smithfield.
Maia Salvo made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI. That triple marked the first that she has hit this season. Kyla Angell was another key player, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two RBI.
While St. Raphael Academy didn't have the best season last year (they finished 5-14), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They put the hurt on South Kingstown with a sharp 8-2 win on Tuesday. The Saints haven't had any issues with the Rebels recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
Emma Martin was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she struck out ten batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off seven hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 2-for-4 with three runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jaliyah De Los Santos, who went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Sophie Roman, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with one run.
St. Raphael Academy hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their strikeout total in four consecutive matchups.
St. Raphael Academy pushed their record up to 6-1 with the win, which was their fourth straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 8.8 runs over those games. As for Ponaganset, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-7.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Wednesday. Ponaganset hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.8 home runs per game. However, it's not like St. Raphael Academy struggles in that department as they've been averaging 0.4 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down. Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
