Baseball Game Preview: Cumberland Clippers vs. Cranston West Falcons

vs

Previous Games

04/16/24 - Home	7-2 W
04/18/23 - Away	8-5 W
05/12/22 - Away	1-2 L
05/11/22 - Home	3-2 W
04/11/19 - Home	4-6 L
+ 3 more games

Cumberland and Cranston West are an even 4-4 against one another since May of 2017, but likely not for long. The Clippers will venture away from home to challenge the Falcons at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Cumberland's pitching crew has only allowed 3.2 runs per game this season, so Cranston West's hitters will have their work cut out for them.

Cumberland is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Rhode Island's top teams: Coventry, who was ranked 15th at the time (Cumberland was ranked eighth). The Clippers put the hurt on the Oakers with a sharp 15-2 victory on Friday. That 13 run margin sets a new team best for the Clippers this season.

Liam Monahan spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered two runs (both of which were unearned) on one hit and racked up nine Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.

At the plate, Cumberland let Josh Lyon and Aidan Ray run wild. Lyon went 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and one triple, while Ray went 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That triple was Lyon's first of the season. Tyler Hurteau was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI.

Cumberland hit smart and finished the game with only one strikeout. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Coventry struck out nine times.

Meanwhile, Cranston West hadn't done well against Coventry recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Saturday. The Falcons walked away with an 8-5 win over the Oakers. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Falcons.

Cumberland's record now sits at 5-2-1. As for Cranston West, their record is now 4-5.

Cumberland beat Cranston West 7-2 in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Clippers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.