The Toll Gate Titans are taking a road trip to take on the Portsmouth Patriots at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Toll Gate is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Rhode Island's top teams: Johnston, who was ranked 18th at the time (Toll Gate was ranked 14th). The Titans won by a run and slipped past the Panthers 3-2. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Titans.
Delaney Wilson spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered just two earned runs on three hits and racked up eight Ks.
On the hitting side, Emma Harold was excellent, going 2-for-3 with one triple and one RBI.
Portsmouth never got on the board in their matchup on Tuesday, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against Burrillville on Friday. They were the clear victors by a 17-7 margin over the Broncos. Considering the Patriots have won eight games by more than five runs this season, Friday's blowout was nothing new.
Mia Ruggieri made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out nine batters over five innings while giving up just two earned (and four unearned) runs off six hits (and only one walk). Ruggieri was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in five of her six plate appearances with two runs and one RBI. That's the most runs she has posted since back in April.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Barbara Rainey, who fired off two home runs, four runs, and four RBI while going 3-for-5. That's the most home runs she has posted since back in April. Another player making a difference was Evelyn Schmidt, who went 1-for-2 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
Portsmouth kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 18 hits. That's the most hits they've managed all season.
Portsmouth has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 9-9 record this season. Those victories came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 10.0 runs over those games. As for Toll Gate, their record now sits at 11-6.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Toll Gate has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.4 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Portsmouth struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 7 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Toll Gate might still be hurting after the 13-2 defeat they got from Portsmouth when the teams last played back in May of 2024. Can the Titans avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
