The Lincoln Lions will take on the St. Raphael Academy Saints at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Lincoln is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.3 runs per game this season.
Lincoln is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Rhode Island's top teams: Barrington, who was ranked 12th at the time (Lincoln was ranked 24th). The Lions were the clear victors by a 20-5 margin over the Eagles on Monday. The high-scoring effort was just what the Lions needed considering they were shut out in their previous matchup.
Lincoln got a massive performance out of Lucia Whyte, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with four runs, five RBI, and two doubles. Those two doubles gave Whyte a new career-high. Sydney Marchand was another key player, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs.
Lincoln always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .750. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Barrington only posted an OBP of .438.
Meanwhile, St. Raphael Academy fought the good fight in their extra-innings game against West Warwick on Tuesday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell just short of the Wizards by a score of 3-2. The Saints' loss signaled the end of their five-game winning streak.
Isabella Sousa put in work while hitting and pitching. She struck out 14 batters over seven innings while giving up three earned runs off five hits (and only one walk). She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't tossed less than seven strikeouts in five consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with one home run and two RBI.
In other batting news, Jaliyah De Los Santos was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-4 with one triple, one run, and one double. That double was her first of the season.
Lincoln is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 6-6 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 11.0 runs over those games. As for St. Raphael Academy, their defeat dropped their record down to 9-2.
Lincoln's speedy runners might be the difference in Thursday's match. The Lions have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.2 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for St. Raphael Academy, though, as they've been averaging only 0.5 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Lincoln continue to outrun the ball? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
