Cranston East has won 12 straight games at home (dating back to last season), while Tiverton has won 12 straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Monday. The Thunderbolts will host the Tigers at 4:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Cranston East is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Rhode Island's top teams: Shea, who was ranked 23rd at the time (Cranston East was ranked fourth). The Thunderbolts' pitchers stepped up to hand the Raiders a 15-0 shutout on Saturday. The Thunderbolts haven't had any issues with the Raiders recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive victory against them.
Lexi Montalban made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching 2.1 innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than two walks any time she's pitched this season. She was also big at the plate, earning two RBI and one run.
In other batting news, Nevaeh Fatorma and Cydnee Meekins did most of the damage at the plate: Fatorma got on base in two of her three plate appearances with three runs and three RBI, while Meekins went a perfect 2-for-2 with four RBI and one run. That's the most RBI Fatorma has posted since back in May of 2024. Gianna Tocci was another key player, getting on base in all three of her plate appearances with three runs and two RBI.
Cranston East hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. The team has now struck out at least four batters in five consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Tiverton got the win against Paul Cuffee on Wednesday by a conclusive 15-0.
Like Cranston East, Tiverton also got a great game from a two-way player: Lia Doster. She struck out seven batters over three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits (and only one walk). Doster was also stellar in the batter's box, getting on base in all three of her plate appearances with three RBI, two runs, and one stolen base.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Sara Poland, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with four RBI, one stolen base, and one run. Another player making a difference was Lexi Boissonneau, who got on base in all three of her plate appearances with two runs and one RBI.
Tiverton's win bumped their record up to 7-0. As for Cranston East, their victory bumped their record up to 5-1.
Monday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Cranston East has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .560. However, it's not like Tiverton struggles in that department as they've averaged .538. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Cranston East took their win against Tiverton when the teams last played back in May of 2024 by a conclusive 9-0 score. Will the Thunderbolts repeat their success, or do the Tigers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
