The Portsmouth Patriots will take on the Lincoln Lions at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Portsmouth is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 8.7 runs per game this season.
Portsmouth is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Rhode Island's top teams: Toll Gate, who was ranked 13th at the time (Portsmouth was ranked 22nd). The Patriots fell just short of the Titans by a score of 9-8 on Monday.
Mary Rainey was huge while hitting and pitching even without the win. On the mound, she pitched four innings while giving up just one earned (and three unearned) runs off four hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two RBI.
In other batting news, Barbara Rainey made the most of her time at bat despite the final result and went 3-for-4 with four RBI, two runs, and two doubles. Lilly Morgado was another key player, going 3-for-5 with three runs, one double, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, after some red-hot attacks at the plate in their last three contests, Lincoln finally came back down to earth on Monday. They fell just short of Johnston by a score of 1-0. The Lions' loss signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.
Anna Danis was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: she tossed six innings while giving up just one earned run off seven hits.
On the hitting side, Charlotte Labossiere was cooking despite her team's loss, going 2-for-3 with three stolen bases. With that strong performance, she is now averaging an impressive 1.1 stolen bases per game.
Lincoln's defeat dropped their record down to 8-7. As for Portsmouth, they now have a losing record of 9-10.
Lincoln's hitters will have their work cut out for them on Tuesday. Portsmouth has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 6.9 strikeouts per game. It's a different story for Lincoln, though, as they've been averaging only 3.1 strikeouts. Will Portsmouth keep running through batters, or will the Lions buck the trend?
Portsmouth skirted past Lincoln 2-1 in their previous matchup back in April of 2024. Will the Patriots repeat their success, or do the Lions have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
