The Westerly Bulldogs will head out on the road to challenge the Johnston Panthers at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Westerly is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Rhode Island's top teams: Narragansett, who was ranked 24th in their home state at the time (Westerly was ranked sixth). Westerly was the clear victor by an 11-1 margin over Narragansett on Monday. The high-scoring effort was just what Westerly needed considering they were shutout in their previous game.
Emma Caracciolo was incredible, scoring three runs while going 2-for-2. The team also got some help courtesy of Ella Keegan, who scored two runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-3.
Meanwhile, Johnston scored the most runs they've had all season to find success on Monday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Burrillville a 13-0 shutout. The team's explosion at the plate also rewarded Johnston with their most commanding win of the season.
Haley Boudreau made a splash no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run and only two hits while striking out 12 over five innings pitched. Boudreau has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't pitched less than five innings every time she's pitched this season. Boudreau was also stellar in the batter's box, scoring four runs and stealing two bases while going 4-for-4.
In other batting news, Johnston got a massive performance out of Arianna Velasquez, who went 4-for-4 with two triples, three RBI, and two runs. Another player making a difference was Alexia Dilorenzo, who scored three runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4.
Westerly's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 12-3. As for Johnston, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 7-2.
Both the pair just can't seem to miss. Westerly has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 9.8 hits per game. However, it's not like Johnston struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 3.6. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Westerly skirted past Johnston 2-1 in their previous meeting back in June of 2023. The rematch might be a little tougher for Westerly since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
