The Cranston East Thunderbolts will take on the Lincoln Lions at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Cranston East has given up an average of 9.7 runs per game this season, but Monday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Having struggled with six losses in a row, Cranston East turned things around against Prout on Friday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 13-12 victory over the Crusaders. The Thunderbolts' hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.
Antonio Defusco and Jeu Leon were major factors no matter where they played. On the mound, Defusco struck out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs off two hits (and only one walk). Meanwhile, Leon struck out six batters over 3.1 innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. At bat, Defusco got on base in four of his five plate appearances with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run, while Leon got on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and three runs. That's the most RBI Defusco has posted since back in May of 2024.
In other batting news, Harrison Fisher was incredible, going 2-for-3 with three runs, one triple, and one stolen base. That's the most runs he has posted since back in May of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Anthony Pimentel, who went 2-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one double.
Cranston East always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .535. That's the best OBP they've posted all season.
Meanwhile, Lincoln was not able to break out of their rough patch on Thursday as the team picked up their seventh straight defeat. They fell 6-2 to East Providence.
Lincoln saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Caden Oldham, who went 1-for-2 with one triple and one RBI. That triple was Oldham's first of the season.
Cranston East's win bumped their record up to 2-8. As for Lincoln, their loss dropped their record down to 1-8.
Cranston East skirted past Lincoln 1-0 in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. Will the Thunderbolts repeat their success, or do the Lions have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
