The Providence Pioneers will square off against the Charlestown Pirates at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Charlestown will square off against a team with plenty of momentum: Providence extended their winning streak to three on Monday. The Pioneers blew past Madison 9-2.
Gavin Jackson made a big impact while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he struck out nine batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned runs off three hits (and only one walk). Jackson was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with one home run and two runs.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Cole Huett, who went 2-for-4 with one home run and two RBI. That home run was his first of the season. Kalen Sipes was another key player, going 1-for-2 with one home run and three RBI.
Providence lost a few balls and finished the game with three home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, after only two runs in their last matchup, Charlestown made sure to put some runs up on the board against Clarksville on Thursday. The Pirates put the hurt on the Generals with a sharp 12-1 victory. The Pirates haven't had any issues with the Generals recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive win against them.
Christian Grayson was incredible, going 3-for-4 with three stolen bases, two runs, and two RBI. Those three stolen bases gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Lex Rose, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and one double.
Providence pushed their record up to 7-2 with the victory, which was their fourth straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.5 runs on average over those games. As for Charlestown, their victory bumped their record up to 11-4.
Friday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Providence hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .367. However, it's not like Charlestown struggles in that department as they've averaged .351. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went Providence's way against Charlestown in their previous meeting back in April of 2024, as Providence made off with an 18-3 win. Do the Pioneers have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Pirates turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
