The South Kingstown Rebels will challenge the Smithfield Sentinels at 4:45 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (South Kingstown 2.4, Smithfield 4) so any runs scored will be well earned.
South Kingstown is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Rhode Island's top teams: Pilgrim, who was ranked 23rd at the time (South Kingstown was ranked second). The Rebels walked away with a 6-1 win over the Patriots on Wednesday.
Quinn Matos spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered a run (which was unearned) on three hits.
At the plate, Nick Vellone was excellent, going 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, one run, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Jonah Monnes, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base, one run, and one double.
Meanwhile, Smithfield entered their tilt with Portsmouth on Wednesday with four consecutive wins, and they'll enter their next game with five. They blew past the Patriots 10-4. The result was nothing new for the Sentinels, who have now won five contests by six runs or more so far this season.
The team relied heavily on Sean Dwyer, who went 3-for-5 with two triples, three RBI, and two runs. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in April. Gio Esposito was another key player, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs.
Smithfield's victory bumped their record up to 7-4. As for South Kingstown, their win bumped their record up to 10-3.
Everything went South Kingstown's way against Smithfield in their previous matchup back in May of 2024, as South Kingstown made off with an 8-0 victory. Will the Rebels repeat their success, or do the Sentinels have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
