The North Providence Cougars are taking a road trip to face off against the Burrillville Broncos at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. North Providence is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt wants to keep things rolling.
While North Providence didn't have the best season last year (they finished 9-12), it's starting to look like those struggles are a thing of the past. They put the hurt on Toll Gate with a sharp 7-0 victory on Monday. The result was nothing new for the Cougars, who have now won three games by seven runs or more so far this season.
The result came thanks to Mike Ryan's shutout, as he gave up just a hit and racked up nine Ks.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Ronnie Paux, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI, two runs, and two doubles. Those doubles marked the first that he has hit this season. Another player making a difference was Mike Allard, who got on base in all four of his plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs.
North Providence was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .400. That was just more of the same: they've now posted a batting average of .304 or higher in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Burrillville fell victim to Narragansett and their airtight pitching crew on Monday. They fell just short of the Mariners by a score of 1-0. Having soared to a lofty 18 runs in the game before, the Broncos' shutout was a dramatic turnaround.
North Providence pushed their record up to 7-0 with the win, which was their eighth straight at home dating back to last season. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.1 runs on average over those games. As for Burrillville, with the defeat, they broke their five-game winning streak and moved their record to 5-3.
North Providence's speedy runners might be the difference in Wednesday's match. The Cougars have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.6 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Burrillville, though, as they've been averaging only 1.4 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will North Providence continue to outrun the ball?
North Providence was able to grind out a solid win over Burrillville when the teams last played back in May of 2024, winning 4-1. Do the Cougars have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Broncos turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
