The Portsmouth Patriots will be playing in front of their home fans against the Ponaganset Chieftains at 4:30 p.m. on Monday. Both teams are coming into the matchup red-hot, with Portsmouth sitting on four straight victories and Ponaganset on ten.
Last Friday, Portsmouth was able to grind out a solid win over Narragansett, taking the game 7-3.
Mary Rainey was a major factor while hitting and pitching. She struck out six batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits. Rainey was also big at the plate, going 1-for-3 with two RBI and a double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Megan Malone, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in three of her five plate appearances. Kaelyn Mahoney was another key contributor, scoring two runs while getting on base in two of her four plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Ponaganset faced Lincoln in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Thursday. Ponaganset walked away with a 9-4 victory over Lincoln.
Like Portsmouth, Ponaganset also got a great game from a two-way player: Chloe Barber. On the mound, she struck out nine batters over seven innings while giving up four earned runs off seven hits. Barber was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-4 with two RBI and a double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Maia Salvo, who went 3-for-3 with a home run, two runs, and a triple. Another player making a difference was Ava Difiore, who scored a run while going 2-for-4.
Portsmouth is on a roll lately: they've won six of their last seven games, which provided a nice bump to their 8-4 record this season. As for Ponaganset, they pushed their record up to 10-1 with that win, which was their 12th straight at home dating back to last season.
Monday's contest will be a test for both team's pitchers. Portsmouth hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .347. However, it's not like Ponaganset struggles in that department as they've averaged .376. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Portsmouth came up short against Ponaganset in their previous matchup back in May of 2023, falling 6-3. Will Portsmouth have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
