Softball Recap: Ponaganset Takes Down Ranked Portsmouth

Ponaganset faced Portsmouth in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Saturday. The Chieftains sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 6-5 victory over the Patriots. The Chieftains have seen this before: they got the W the last time they saw the Patriots, too.

Mattea Mello

Batters Struck Out

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 big impact no matter where she played. She struck out 11 batters over nine innings while giving up four earned (and one unearned) runs off nine hits. She has been consistent: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in seven consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, 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.

The win made it two in a row for Ponaganset and bumps their season record up to 4-8. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered a grand total of 7 runs in those games. As for Portsmouth, they are on a five-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 5-8.

Looking ahead, Ponaganset will take on Cranston West at 6:00 p.m. on Monday. The Chieftains' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Falcons have averaged an impressive 7 runs per game this season. As for Portsmouth, they will face off against Lincoln at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. The Lions will aim to continue their three-game streak of scoring more runs each game than the last.