The Cranston East Thunderbolts will challenge the Shea Raiders at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. One thing working in Cranston East's favor is that they have posted at least ten runs in their last three matches.
If Cranston East beats Shea with 11 runs on Saturday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two games with that exact score. The Thunderbolts beat Middletown on Wednesday by the very same score they won with in their prior game: 11-1. The result was nothing new for the Thunderbolts, who have now won four contests by ten runs or more so far this season.
Lexi Montalban
| 04/16/25 vs Middletown | 1 |
| 04/14/25 vs Central | 0 |
| 04/10/25 @ Classical | 1 |
| 04/04/25 @ Barrington | 2 |
| 04/03/25 @ Rogers | 1 |
Lexi Montalban made a splash while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run while striking out nine over six innings pitched. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season. She was also big at the plate, going 1-for-4 with two RBI and one run.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Gianna Tocci, who got on base in all four of her plate appearances with three stolen bases, one run, and one RBI. That's the most stolen bases she has posted since back in April of 2024. Another player making a difference was Cydnee Meekins, who went 3-for-4 with three runs and two RBI.
Meanwhile, Shea faced Davies Career & Tech in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Wednesday. The Raiders came up short against the Patriots, falling 16-2. Having soared to a lofty 17 runs in the game before, the Raiders couldn't push the score so high this time.
Gianna Quinones made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 1-for-3 with one home run and two RBI.
Cranston East pushed their record up to 4-1 with the win, which was their 11th straight at home dating back to last season. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.4 runs on average over those games. As for Shea, their defeat dropped their record down to 2-4.
Saturday's matchup might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Cranston East has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .543. However, it's not like Shea struggles in that department as they've averaged .473. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Cranston East's way against Shea in their previous meeting back in June of 2024, as Cranston East made off with a 10-1 win. Will the Thunderbolts repeat their success, or do the Raiders have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
