Ponaganset is 0-3 against Pilgrim since April of 2016 but things could change on Tuesday. The Chieftains will face off against the Patriots at 4:30 p.m. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
While Chieftains fans will have to keep waiting for their team to come home, they shouldn't be too worried about the road trip considering the result of Tuesday's season opener. They walked away with an 8-4 win over Toll Gate on Tuesday. The victory was familiar territory for the Chieftains, who have now won seven contests in a row dating back to last season.
Ava DiFiore spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned (and two unearned) runs on nine hits and racked up nine Ks.
On the hitting side, Maia Salvo was incredible, going 2-for-4 with one home run, five RBI, and one double. The team also got some help courtesy of Mia Duncan, who scored two runs while going 1-for-3.
Meanwhile, Pilgrim got the win against North Kingstown on Friday by a conclusive 9-1. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Patriots.
Gretchen Dombeck made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, tossing seven innings while giving up just one earned run off four hits. Dombeck was also solid in the batter's box, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and one RBI. That's the most doubles she has posted since back in April of 2024.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Genna D'Amato, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 3-for-4. Another player making a difference was Natalie Fratus, who went 2-for-4 with one triple, one run, and one double.
Pilgrim was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .400. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as North Kingstown only posted a batting average of .154.
Ponaganset might still be hurting after the 8-0 loss they got from Pilgrim when the teams last played back in March of 2022. Can the Chieftains avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
