Baseball Game Preview: Johnston Panthers vs. Ponaganset Chieftains

The Johnston Panthers will face off against the Ponaganset Chieftains at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Johnston came out on top against Rogers on Thursday thanks in part to the team's impressive four-run sixth inning. The Panthers sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 7-5 win over the Vikings. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Panthers have posted since May 29, 2024.

Aiden Neil was a major factor while hitting and pitching. He looked comfortable on the mound, tossing three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Johnston is 2-1 when Neil allows one or fewer hits, but 1-9 otherwise. Neil was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with one stolen base and one RBI.

Ethan Bracey

Hits (Career)

05/08/25 @ Rogers	3
04/10/24 vs Ponaganset	2
04/29/25 @ West Warwick	1
04/21/25 @ Chariho	1
04/15/25 vs St. Raphael Academy	1

In other batting news, Ethan Bracey was excellent, going 3-for-4 with two RBI and one run. Those three hits gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Corey Ogden, who went 1-for-3 with two runs and one stolen base.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Ponaganset). They blew past Middletown 14-2 on Wednesday. The high-flying hitting performance was a huge turnaround for the Chieftains considering their one-run performance the game before.

Johnston is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 3-10 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 6.3 runs over those games. As for Ponaganset, they moved to 7-9 with that victory, which also ended their three-game losing streak.

Johnston came up short against Ponaganset when the teams last played back in April, falling 7-2. Will the Panthers have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.