Cranston West has gone 8-2 against Smithfield recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Thursday. The Falcons will be playing at home against the Sentinels at 4:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Cranston West is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Rhode Island's top teams: East Providence, who was ranked 11th at the time (Cranston West was ranked fifth). The Falcons were the clear victors by an 11-5 margin over the Townies on Wednesday. The home team had taken home the W every time these teams have met since May 11, 2021, but that streak is no more.
Mia Crudale
| 05/14/25 @ East Providence | 2 |
| 04/25/25 vs West Warwick | 1 |
| 04/16/25 @ La Salle Academy | 1 |
| 05/19/24 @ Coventry | 1 |
| 05/14/24 vs Cumberland | 1 |
Mia Crudale made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. Crudale was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with one home run and two runs. Those two runs gave her a new career-high.
In other pitching news, Mia Sampaio looked comfortable as she didn't allow a single earned run over four innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up a single earned run in four consecutive appearances.
Back at the plate, the team relied heavily on Ava Iannelli, who went 2-for-3 with one home run, three runs, and one stolen base. That's the most runs she has posted since back in June of 2024. Another player making a difference was Mia Baffoni, who went 1-for-4 with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
Meanwhile, it may have taken eight innings to finish the job, but Smithfield ultimately got the result they hoped for on Wednesday. They were the clear victors by a 14-6 margin over Ponaganset. The Sentinels haven't had any issues with the Chieftains recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive win against them.
Maddie Bose spent all eight innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered six earned runs on 12 hits and racked up ten Ks.
On the hitting side, Lily Riggin was incredible, going 4-for-6 with one home run, five RBI, and two runs. She also hit two doubles, marking her first of the season. Joy Matteson was another key player, going 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs, and one double.
Smithfield always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .531. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Ponaganset only posted an OBP of .343.
Cranston West's victory bumped their record up to 9-6. As for Smithfield, their win bumped their record up to 9-5.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Thursday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Cranston West has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Smithfield struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7.8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Everything went Cranston West's way against Smithfield when the teams last played back in April of 2024, as Cranston West made off with an 11-1 victory. Do the Falcons have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Sentinels turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
