The Ponaganset Chieftains will face off against the Westerly Bulldogs on Friday. Ponaganset will be hoping to continue their three-game streak of scoring more runs each contest than the last.
Ponaganset is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Lincoln a 10-0 shutout. The result was nothing new for Ponaganset, who have now won eight games by ten runs or more so far this season.
Chloe Barber was a major factor no matter where she played. On the mound, she didn't allow a single earned run and only two hits over five innings pitched. Barber has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than one walk in three consecutive pitching appearances. Barber was also big at the plate, scoring a run while going 2-for-3.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Maia Salvo, who went 2-for-3 with a home run, five RBI, and two runs. She is on a roll when it comes to home runs, as she's now launched at least one in the last three games she's played. Ava Difiore was another key contributor, scoring three runs while getting on base in three of her four plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Westerly faced West Warwick in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Tuesday. Westerly narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past West Warwick 4-3.
Sophia Valentini spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered three runs (all of which were unearned) on five hits.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Emma Caracciolo, who went 1-for-2 with a home run and two runs.
Ponaganset pushed their record up to 14-3 with that victory, which was their 14th straight at home dating back to last season. As for Westerly, their win bumped their record up to 15-7.
Friday's matchup will be a test for both team's pitchers. Ponaganset hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .348. However, it's not like Westerly struggles in that department as they've averaged .328. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Ponaganset skirted past Westerly 7-6 when the teams last played last Tuesday. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Westerly's Ella Keegan, who went 3-for-4 with a home run, three runs, and a double. Now that she's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Ponaganset still be able to contain Keegan? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
