The South Kingstown Rebels will square off against the Westerly Bulldogs at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. South Kingstown is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.2 runs per game this season.
South Kingstown is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Rhode Island's top teams: Barrington, who was ranked ninth at the time (South Kingstown was ranked 25th). The Rebels lost 10-3 to the Eagles on Thursday. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest defeat the Rebels have suffered against the Eagles since May 17, 2018.
Abigail O'Connor was cooking despite her team's loss, going a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one double. That double marked the first that she has hit this season. Another player making a difference was Jillian Kavanagh, who went 1-for-2 with two RBI and one double.
Meanwhile, Westerly had to endure a five-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They walked away with a 10-7 victory over East Providence on Friday.
The team relied heavily on Addison Poole, who fired off two home runs, three runs, and three RBI while going 2-for-4. Ella Keegan was another key player, going 2-for-5 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI.
Westerly lost a few balls and finished the game with four home runs. That's the most home runs they've managed all season.
Westerly picked up their first road win, bumping their record up to 6-7. As for South Kingstown, this is the second loss in a row for them and nudges their season record down to 4-8.
South Kingstown's speedy runners might be the difference in Saturday's matchup. The Rebels have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.6 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for Westerly, though, as they've been averaging only 1.2 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will South Kingstown continue to outrun the ball?
South Kingstown suffered a grim 12-0 defeat to Westerly in their previous matchup back in April. Will the Rebels have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other softball content.
