Baseball Game Preview: North Providence Cougars vs. La Salle Academy Rams

The North Providence Cougars will head out to square off against the La Salle Academy Rams at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday. North Providence hasn't scored more than two runs for three games straight, a trend the team is eager to reverse.

North Providence is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Rhode Island's top teams: Burrillville, who was ranked 13th at the time (North Providence was ranked eighth). The Cougars came up short against the Broncos on Thursday, falling 13-2. The pitching woes were uncharacteristic for the Cougars, who until this matchup were averaging 3.21 runs allowed.

Mike Allard was cooking despite his team's loss, going 1-for-2 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.

Meanwhile, La Salle Academy fell victim to Cumberland and their airtight pitching crew on Thursday. They took a 3-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Clippers. The Rams' loss signaled the end of their four-game winning streak.

Jairo Martinez was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he struck out ten batters over six innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off seven hits. What's more, he gave up only two walks, the fewest he's had since back in April.

North Providence suffered their first home defeat, dropping their record down to 11-3. As for La Salle Academy, their loss dropped their record down to 10-4.

North Providence skirted past La Salle Academy 2-1 when the teams last played back in May of 2018. Do the Cougars have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Rams turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.