St. Raphael Academy hasn't had much luck against Cranston West recently, but that could start to change on Saturday. The Saints will host the Falcons at 7:00 p.m. After the two teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one won't be so lucky on Saturday.
Cranston West will face off against a team with plenty of momentum: St. Raphael Academy extended their winning streak to five on Wednesday. The Saints' pitcher stepped up to hand Mt. Hope a 14-0 shutout. The Saints might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five contests by six runs or more this season.
Emma Martin made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she kept things locked down with no earned runs or hits while striking out eight over four innings pitched. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That home run marked the first that she has launched this season.
In other batting news, St. Raphael Academy let Noelle Welch and Avalynn Guatieri run wild. Welch went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, one double, and one RBI, while Guatieri went 1-for-2 with one home run and two runs. That home run was Guatieri's first of the season. Another player making a difference was Sophie Roman, who went 1-for-3 with two runs and two RBI.
St. Raphael Academy was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .409. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Mt. Hope only posted a batting average of .077.
Meanwhile, Cranston West faced Moses Brown in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Saturday. The Falcons put the hurt on the Quakers with a sharp 15-0 win. The Falcons have beaten the Quakers the last eight times they've met, but they better watch out: this was the closest the Quakers has come to flipping the script.
Mia Crudale made a big impact no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit over four innings pitched. Crudale was also solid in the batter's box, going a perfect 2-for-2 with one RBI.
In other batting news, Siena Nardelli was incredible, going 2-for-4 with one home run, two stolen bases, and three runs. What's more, she posted three RBI, the most she's had since back in May of 2024. Gianna Dispirito was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
St. Raphael Academy's victory bumped their record up to 9-1. As for Cranston West, their win bumped their record up to 7-5.
Fans could be in store for some top-tier slugging on Saturday. St. Raphael Academy hasn't had any problems when it comes to power this season, having averaged 0.6 home runs per game. However, it's not like Cranston West struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 0.7 home runs. With so much power on both teams, it'll be down to the pitchers to keep the mound locked down.
St. Raphael Academy couldn't quite finish off Cranston West when the teams last played back in May of 2024 and fell 4-2. Will the Saints 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.
