The Pilgrim Patriots will challenge the Prout Crusaders at 5:00 p.m. on Friday. One thing working in Pilgrim's favor is that they have posted at least ten runs in their last three contests.
Pilgrim is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Rhode Island's top teams: Coventry, who was ranked fourth at the time (Pilgrim was ranked second). The Patriots never let the Oakers get on the board and left with a 10-0 victory on Thursday. Considering the Patriots have won five matches by more than seven runs this season, Thursday's blowout was nothing new.
Not much got past Gretchen Dombeck, who gave up just two hits to keep Coventry off the board. Dombeck has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in three consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Pilgrim let Skylar Hawes and Madison Tuirok run wild. Hawes went 2-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI, while Tuirok went 1-for-3 with three stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. That's the most stolen bases Tuirok has posted since back in May of 2024. Marin Prest was another key player, going 2-for-3 with two runs, one triple, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, Prout fell victim to Chariho and their airtight pitching crew on Friday. They came up short against the Chargers, falling 12-0. The Crusaders' defeat signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.
Pilgrim pushed their record up to 12-1 with the win, which was their sixth straight at home. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 2.7 runs on average over those games. As for Prout, their loss dropped their record down to 7-5.
Prout's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Pilgrim has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .440. It's a different story for Prout, though, as they've only averaged .364. Will they be able to contain Pilgrim's hitters?
Pilgrim beat Prout 4-1 in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. Do the Patriots have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Crusaders turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
