The Pilgrim Patriots will challenge the Mt. Hope Huskies at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Pilgrim will be strutting in after a win while Mt. Hope will be coming in after a loss.
Pilgrim will bounce into Wednesday's game after beating North Kingstown, who they had gone 2-7 against in their nine prior meetings. The Patriots came out on top against the Skippers by a score of 6-3 on Monday. The game was the first time the Patriots have beaten the Skippers on their field since April 26, 2017.
Derrick Butler spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: he surrendered just two earned (and one unearned) runs on four hits and racked up eight Ks.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Jacob Soulliere, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with one home run, four RBI, and one stolen base. Those four RBI gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Henry Kearns, who scored a run and stole a base while getting on base in three of his four plate appearances.
Meanwhile, Mt. Hope faced Portsmouth in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Monday. The Huskies lost 10-4 to the Patriots. The Huskies just can't catch a break and have now endured five defeats in a row.
Mt. Hope also got a good showing from Riley Gagner, who tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits.
At the plate, Trace Dubois made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went a perfect 2-for-2 with one triple, one stolen base, and one run. He is on a roll when it comes to stolen bases, as he's now snagged at least one in each of the last three games he's played. Brian Abbruzzi was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one triple, one run, and one RBI.
Mt. Hope's loss dropped their record down to 1-5. As for Pilgrim, the victory got them back to even at 3-3.
The batters for both teams will have to hit smart on Wednesday as both have some strikeout artists on the roster. Pilgrim has been retiring batters left and right this season, having averaged 7.7 strikeouts per game. However, it's not like Mt. Hope struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 8.2 strikeouts. Considering how easily both teams rack up Ks, the hitters on both teams better bring their A-game into this one.
Everything went Pilgrim's way against Mt. Hope in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, as Pilgrim made off with a 7-1 win. Do the Patriots have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Huskies turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
