The North Providence Cougars will challenge the Rogers Vikings at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. North Providence's pitching crew has only allowed 3.6 runs per game this season, so Rogers' hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Prout hit North Providence with a four-run fourth inning on Tuesday, which goes a long way in explaining the final result. The Cougars took a 9-5 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Crusaders.
Carter Harris made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Tony Abed, who got on base in two of his four plate appearances with one stolen base and two RBI.
Meanwhile, Rogers can bid farewell to their seven-game losing streak thanks to their game on Wednesday. They put the hurt on Mt. Pleasant with a sharp 12-2 victory. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Vikings considering their two-run performance the game before.
Hayden Younger spent all six innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered only one earned (and one unearned) run on two hits and racked up nine Ks. Rogers is undefeated when Younger allows one or fewer earned runs, but 1-11 otherwise.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Kieran Moore, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with four RBI, two runs, and two doubles. Those four RBI gave him a new career-high. Colby Schreiber was another key player, going 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI.
North Providence has been struggling recently as they've lost three of their last four matchups. That's put a noticeable dent in their 12-5 record this season. As for Rogers, their win bumped their record up to 5-11.
The pitchers for both teams better look sharp on Friday as neither team is afraid to steal. North Providence has been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 2.8 stolen bases per game. However, it's not like Rogers struggles in that department as they've been averaging 4.3 stolen bases. The only question left is which team can snag more.
North Providence skirted past Rogers 3-2 in their previous matchup back in June of 2021. Will the Cougars repeat their success, or do the Vikings have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
