The Westerly Bulldogs will face off against the Pilgrim Patriots at 5:00 p.m. on Monday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Westerly 3, Pilgrim 3.8) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Westerly is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Rhode Island's top teams: Narragansett, who was ranked 16th at the time (Westerly was ranked 12th). The Bulldogs walked away with a 5-1 victory over the Mariners on Friday. The win was familiar territory for the Bulldogs, who have now won five matches in a row.
Tom Fiore
| 04/25/25 vs Narragansett | 9 |
| 04/19/25 @ Chariho | 6 |
| 04/10/25 @ Cumberland | 6 |
| 05/22/24 @ South Kingstown | 2 |
| 05/09/24 @ Ponaganset | 1 |
| + 2 more games |
Tom Fiore made a splash no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out nine over five innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts he has posted since back in April of 2024. He was also big at the plate, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs.
In other batting news, Grayson Simmons was excellent, going 2-for-3 with three RBI. That's the most RBI he has posted since back in April of 2024.
Westerly was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .385. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Narragansett only posted a batting average of .042.
Meanwhile, Pilgrim came into Friday's game having lost three straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 5-3 victory over East Greenwich on Friday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Patriots have posted since May 17, 2024.
Pilgrim also got a great performance from Derrick Butler as he struck out seven batters over 6.1 innings while giving up just one earned (and two unearned) runs off five hits.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Matthew Wellington, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two stolen bases, two runs, and one RBI. Another player making a difference was Henry Kearns, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI and one double.
Pilgrim's victory bumped their record up to 4-6. As for Westerly, their win bumped their record up to 8-4.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Monday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Westerly has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.8 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Pilgrim struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
