The Pilgrim Patriots are taking a road trip to take on the La Salle Academy Rams at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams are coming into the matchup red-hot, with Pilgrim sitting on six straight victories and La Salle Academy on 43 (dating back to last season).
Pilgrim is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Rhode Island's top teams: Prout, who was ranked seventh at the time (Pilgrim was ranked second). The Patriots came out on top against the Crusaders by a score of 5-1 on Wednesday.
Gretchen Dombeck spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered a run (which was unearned) on four hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in six consecutive appearances.
On the hitting side, Pilgrim let Madison Tuirok and Genna D'Amato run wild. Tuirok went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases and two runs, while D'Amato went a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBI and one run. That's the most hits D'Amato has posted since back in April. Marin Prest was another key player, going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, one run, and one double.
Pilgrim was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .423. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Prout only posted a batting average of .192.
Meanwhile, La Salle Academy gave up the first runs on Wednesday, but they didn't let that get them down. They were the clear victors by a 14-1 margin over North Kingstown. Considering the Rams have won 13 games by more than six runs this season, Wednesday's blowout was nothing new.
Gia DeNinno spent all four innings played on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered only one earned run on three hits.
At the plate, Phoenyx Silva was a standout: she went 2-for-4 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. Sophia Morgan also deserves some recognition as she launched her first home run of the season.
La Salle Academy pushed their record up to 18-0 with the win, which was their 18th straight on the road dating back to last season. Those road victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.5 runs on average this season. As for Pilgrim, their record is now 15-1.
Thursday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Pilgrim hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .346. However, it's not like La Salle Academy struggles in that department as they've averaged .385. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Pilgrim might still be hurting after the 9-1 loss they got from La Salle Academy in their previous matchup back in May of 2024. Can the Patriots avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
