The Cranston East Thunderbolts will head out on the road to face off against the Shea Raiders at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Cranston East will be coming into the game with an undefeated record on the line.
Cranston East is hoping to deliver their fans another blowout on Tuesday, just like they did against Rogers (and have done all season long). Everything went Cranston East's way against Rogers on Monday as Cranston East made off with a 12-2 victory.
Lexi Montalban was a major factor no matter where she played. She didn't allow a single earned run and only one hit over four innings pitched. Montalban has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive pitching appearances. Montalban was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Nevaeh Fatorma, who scored a run while going 1-for-3. Gianna Ramirez-Rios was another key contributor, scoring a run while getting on base in two of her three plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Shea put the finishing touches on their seventh blowout victory of the season on Friday. They put the hurt on Central with a sharp 12-2 win. The high-scoring effort was just what Shea needed considering they were shutout in their previous match.
Like Cranston East, Shea also got a great game from a two-way player: Janayah Gordon. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out eight batters over five innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits (and not a single walk). Gordon was also big at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a home run, two runs, and a stolen base.
In other batting news, Aniya Rua was a standout: she scored two runs and stole two bases while going 4-for-4. Another player making a difference was Cheyenne Cooper, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, a triple, and two RBI.
Cranston East's victory was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 13-0. As for Shea, their record now sits at 9-5.
Tuesday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Cranston East has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .471. However, it's not like Shea struggles in that department as they've averaged .452. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Cranston East came out on top in a nail-biter against Shea when the teams last played back in April, sneaking past 2-0. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Gordon, who struck out 13 batters over six innings while giving up just one earned (and one unearned) run off five hits (and not a single walk). Now that she's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Cranston East still be able to contain Gordon? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
