Cumberland and La Salle Academy are an even 5-5 against one another since April of 2017, but likely not for long. The Clippers will take on the Rams at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with Cumberland sitting on three straight victories and La Salle Academy on four.
Cumberland is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Rhode Island's top teams: Cranston West, who was ranked 18th at the time (Cumberland was ranked fourth). The Clippers had just enough and edged out the Falcons 4-3.
Liam Monahan spent all eight innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered three earned runs on seven hits and racked up seven Ks. He has been nothing but reliable: he hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances.
Aidan Ray
| 05/02/25 vs Cranston West | 3 |
| 05/01/25 @ Mt. Hope | 2 |
| 04/18/25 @ Coventry | 2 |
| 04/10/25 vs Westerly | 2 |
| 04/03/25 @ Smithfield | 2 |
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Aidan Ray, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one run. Those three hits gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Ben Jahnz, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI.
Meanwhile, La Salle Academy got the win against Barrington on Wednesday by a conclusive 8-1. Considering the Rams have won five matchups by more than five runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
La Salle Academy also let their pitcher toss all seven innings and he was also dialed-in: Matt Destefanis gave up only one earned run on four hits.
At the plate, Brady Collins was incredible, firing off two home runs, five RBI, and one double while going 3-for-4.
La Salle Academy pushed their record up to 10-3 with the win, which was their third straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.0 run on average over those games. As for Cumberland, their record now sits at 10-4.
Thursday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Cumberland hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .324. However, it's not like La Salle Academy struggles in that department as they've averaged .337. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Cumberland might still be hurting after the 8-2 loss they got from La Salle Academy in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. Can the Clippers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
