The Chariho Chargers will face off against the Smithfield Sentinels at 4:45 p.m. on Wednesday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Chariho 2.6, Smithfield 2.5) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Chariho is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Rhode Island's top teams: Ponaganset, who was ranked 20th at the time (Chariho was ranked fourth). The Chargers came out on top against the Chieftains by a score of 8-3 on Thursday. That's two games straight that the Chargers have won by exactly five runs.
Adriana Jeannenot was a major factor no matter where she played. She struck out 15 batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned runs off four hits. She has been nothing but reliable on the mound: she hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances. She was also big at the plate, getting on base in all three of her plate appearances with three runs, one double, and one RBI.
In other batting news, Kesten Hanks was excellent, going 2-for-4 with three RBI and one run. That's the most hits she has posted since back in May of 2024. Another player making a difference was Brianna DeGiacomo, who earned one RBI and two runs.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Smithfield). Everything went their way against Ponaganset on Monday as they made off with a 15-4 win. The victory was nothing new for the Sentinels as they're now sitting on three straight.
Smithfield got a massive performance out of Sophia Parrillo, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with three runs, four RBI, and one stolen base. That stolen base marked the first that Parrillo has snagged this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Madison Kennedy, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with four runs, one stolen base, and one RBI.
Smithfield kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 13 hits. They are a perfect 5-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Smithfield pushed their record up to 6-2 with the win, which was their fifth straight at home. The home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.4 runs on average over those games. As for Chariho, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 6-4.
Wednesday's contest will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Chariho hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .322. However, it's not like Smithfield struggles in that department as they've averaged .366. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Chariho took their victory against Smithfield when the teams last played back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 9-1 score. Will the Chargers repeat their success, or do the Sentinels have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
