Baseball Game Preview: Chariho Chargers vs. Prout Crusaders

The Chariho Chargers are taking a road trip to face off against the Prout Crusaders at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this game.

Chariho is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Rhode Island's top teams: North Providence, who was ranked ninth at the time (Chariho was ranked 19th). The Chargers fell just short of the Cougars by a score of 8-7 on Thursday. The Chargers have struggled against the Cougars recently, as the game was their third consecutive lost meeting.

Gavyn Pepler was cooking despite his team's loss, going 2-for-4 with two RBI, one run, and one double. Gavin Apice also deserves some recognition as he brought in his first RBI of the season.

Meanwhile, Prout came up short against East Greenwich on Saturday and fell 7-4. The Crusaders have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Prout saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Matthew Chofay, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and one triple. Andrew Nowell was another, going 1-for-4 with two RBI and one double.

Chariho's record now sits at 7-6. As for Prout, their record is now 5-8.

Chariho's speedy runners might be the difference in Monday's matchup. The Chargers have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.1 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Prout, though, as they've been averaging only 1 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Chariho continue to outrun the ball?

Chariho beat Prout 8-3 in their previous meeting back in April. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Chargers since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.