Softball Game Preview: Pilgrim Patriots vs. Prout Crusaders

The Pilgrim Patriots will venture away from home to face off against the Prout Crusaders at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday.

Pilgrim is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Rhode Island's top teams: Cranston West, who was ranked fourth at the time (Pilgrim was ranked 14th). The Patriots took a 6-3 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Falcons on Monday. The Patriots haven't had much luck with the Falcons recently, as the team has come up short the last four times they've met.

Skylar Hawes and Lia Wasilewski did some serious damage despite the final result: Hawes went 1-for-3 with one home run, while Wasilewski went 2-for-3 with one stolen base, one double, and one RBI.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Prout, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Saturday. They won by a run and slipped past Smithfield 4-3. The win continues a trend for the Crusaders in their matchups with the Sentinels: they've now won six in a row.

Megan Gardiner was a major factor no matter where she played. She struck out 11 batters over six innings while giving up three earned runs off three hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in ten consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with two RBI and one run. That's the most RBI she has posted since back in April.

In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Sara Slitt, who went 2-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.

Prout's victory bumped their record up to 9-10. As for Pilgrim, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-11-1.

Pilgrim beat Prout 5-1 in their previous meeting back in May of 2025. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Patriots since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.