Softball Preview: Cranston East Thunderbolts vs. Shea Raiders
The Cranston East Thunderbolts will look to defend their home field on Wednesday against the Shea Raiders at 4:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Shea is hoping to do on Wednesday what Rogers couldn't on Monday: put an end to Cranston East's winning streak, which now stands at five games. Cranston East was the clear victor by a 15-2 margin over Rogers. Cranston East's hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Isabella Sousa and Lexi Montalban made a splash no matter where they played. On the mound, Sousa struck out nine batters over 3.2 innings while giving up no earned run off four hits (and not a single walk). Meanwhile, Montalban tossed two innings while giving up no earned run off one hit. Sousa has been consistent recently: she hasn't tossed less than eight strikeouts in four consecutive pitching appearances. At bat, Sousa went 1-for-3 with a home run, two runs, and two RBI, while Montalban scored a run while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, Cranston East got a massive performance out of Nevaeh Fatorma, who scored three runs and stole two bases while getting on base in four of her five plate appearances. Fatorma has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last four times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Samaya Imondi, who scored a run while going 4-for-5.
Meanwhile, after only one run in their last matchup, Shea made sure to put some runs up on the board against Central on Monday. Shea blew past Central 17-1. For those curious, yes, that was the biggest victory Shea has managed all season.
Like Cranston East, Shea also got a great game from a two-way player: Janayah Gordon. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over five innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits (and not a single walk). Gordon was also solid in the batter's box, scoring two runs while going 3-for-3.
In other batting news, Clara Perez and Cheyenne Cooper did most of the damage at the plate: Perez went 2-for-3 with a home run, three runs, and four RBI, while Cooper went 2-for-4 with a home run, four RBI, and two runs. Another player making a difference was Laurel Christian, who scored two runs while going 1-for-3.
Cranston East pushed their record up to 5-0 with that win, which was their third straight on the road. As for Shea, their victory bumped their record up to 4-1.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Wednesday. Cranston East hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 1 home runs per game. However, it's not like Shea struggles in that department as they've been averaging 1. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
Cranston East might still be hurting after the 10-0 loss they got from Shea in their previous meeting back in May of 2023. Will Cranston East have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
