The West Warwick Wizards will challenge the Johnston Panthers at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (West Warwick has six straight victories, Johnston has ten straight defeats), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
On Friday, West Warwick got the win against Toll Gate by a conclusive 8-1. The result was nothing new for the Wizards, who have now won five games by seven runs or more so far this season.
The team relied heavily on Joe Riviera, who went 2-for-3 with three runs and one double. That double marked the first that he has hit this season. Another player making a difference was Jair Blanco, who went 2-for-3 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
West Warwick always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .531. That was just more of the same: they've now posted an OBP of .531 or higher in three consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Johnston fell victim to East Greenwich and their airtight pitching crew on Wednesday. They took a 3-0 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Avengers. Give some credit to the fans of both teams: the last four times they've met, the home team has come away the winner.
Manny Rios was a force to be reckoned with on the mound despite the final result: he struck out seven batters over six innings while giving up just two earned (and one unearned) runs off seven hits (and only one walk). He has been consistent recently: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.
West Warwick's win was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 9-1. Those home victories came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.4 runs on average over those games. As for Johnston, their loss dropped their record down to 0-9.
Johnston's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: West Warwick hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .342. It's a different story for Johnston, though, as they've only averaged .176. Will they be able to contain West Warwick's hitters?
West Warwick skirted past Johnston 3-1 in their previous meeting back in April of 2024. Do the Wizards have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Panthers turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
