The Prout Crusaders will head out to take on the Chariho Chargers at 4:15 p.m. on Friday. The last three games Prout has played have been within two runs, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.
Prout is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Rhode Island's top teams: Coventry, who was ranked third at the time (Prout was ranked eighth). The Crusaders skirted past the Oakers 4-2. That's two games straight that the Crusaders have won by exactly two runs.
Lily Sheehan spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered two runs (both of which were unearned) on three hits and racked up six Ks.
At the plate, Prout's win was truly a team effort as six different players contributed at least one hit. One of them was Kelsea Flaherty, who went 3-for-4 with one run.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Prout kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 11 hits. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Coventry only managed two hits.
Meanwhile, while Chariho put up some runs on Wednesday, the same can't be said for Smithfield. The Chargers were the clear victors by a 9-0 margin over the Sentinels. The Chargers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won five games by six runs or more this season.
Not much got past Adriana Jeannenot, who gave up just three hits and racked up 13 Ks to keep Smithfield off the board. Jeannenot has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Kaelyn Comerford, who went 1-for-4 with one home run, three runs, and three RBI. Those three RBI gave her a new career-high. Maddie Dorgan was another key player, going 2-for-3 with three runs and one triple.
Prout is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six matches. That's provided a nice bump to their 7-4 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 3.8 runs on average over those games. As for Chariho, the win (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 7-4.
Prout's speedy runners might be the difference in Friday's contest. The Crusaders have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.4 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Chariho, though, as they've been averaging an even more impressive 1.4 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will Prout continue to outrun the ball?
Prout couldn't quite get it done against Chariho in their previous meeting last Tuesday as they fell 7-2. Can the Crusaders avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
