Cranston West is 8-2 against North Kingstown since May of 2017 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Sunday. The Falcons will be playing at home against the Skippers at 2:00 p.m. Cranston West's pitching crew has only allowed 3.4 runs per game this season, so North Kingstown's hitters will have their work cut out for them.
Cranston West is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Rhode Island's top teams: Johnston, who was ranked 20th at the time (Cranston West was ranked fifth). The Falcons' pitcher stepped up to hand the Panthers a 4-0 shutout on Saturday. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Falcons.
Mia Crudale
| 05/17/25 vs Johnston | 1 |
| 05/14/25 @ East Providence | 0 |
| 05/13/25 @ Prout | 2 |
Not much got past Mia Crudale, who gave up just two hits and racked up 14 Ks to keep Johnston off the board. Crudale has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.
At the plate, Mia Santomassimo and Mia Baffoni did most of the damage at the plate: Santomassimo went 1-for-3 with one triple, one stolen base, and one run, while Baffoni went 1-for-2 with three runs and one stolen base. That's the most runs Baffoni has posted since back in April of 2024. Siena Nardelli was another key player, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with one stolen base and one RBI.
Meanwhile, North Kingstown hadn't done well against Moses Brown recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Saturday. The Skippers blew past the Quakers 12-2. That looming 12-2 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Skippers yet this season.
Ella Mezzanotte made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Mezzanotte was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-5 with one home run, three RBI, and two runs. That home run was her first of the season.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Amelia Fries, who got on base in all five of her plate appearances with four stolen bases, three RBI, and two runs. Another player making a difference was Mia D'Andrea, who went 3-for-5 with three runs, two doubles, and one triple.
Cranston West's victory bumped their record up to 10-6. As for North Kingstown, their win bumped their record up to 7-10.
Cranston West came up short against North Kingstown when the teams last played back in May of 2024, falling 6-3. Can the Falcons avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
