The East Lyme Vikings will take on the South Kingstown Rebels at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (East Lyme 3.7, South Kingstown 2.2) so any runs scored will be well earned.
On Thursday, East Lyme earned an 8-4 victory over St. Bernard.
Dylan Joyce was a major factor no matter where he played. He looked comfortable on the mound, striking out six batters over six innings while giving up four earned runs off nine hits. Joyce was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-3 with two RBI and one double.
In other batting news, Tanner O'Brien was excellent, going 1-for-3 with two stolen bases, two RBI, and one run. Nick Cambi was another key player, going 1-for-3 with one run, one double, and one RBI.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask South Kingstown). They put the hurt on Mt. Hope with a sharp 12-1 win on Thursday. Winning may never get old, but the Rebels sure are getting used to it with their third in a row.
Like East Lyme, South Kingstown also got a great game from a two-way player: Nick Vellone. He tossed one inning while giving up no earned runs or hits. Vellone was also big at the plate, going a perfect 2-for-2 with two runs and two RBI.
Vellone wasn't the only one making solid contact as six players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Sam McLeod, who went a perfect 1-for-1 with two RBI and one double. That double marked the first that McLeod has hit this season. Another was Jonah Monnes, who went 1-for-3 with two RBI, one run, and one double.
South Kingstown was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .391. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Mt. Hope only posted a batting average of .125.
South Kingstown's victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 9-1. The road wins came thanks in part to their pitching effort, having only surrendered 1.3 runs on average over those games. As for East Lyme, their victory bumped their record up to 7-2.
Friday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. East Lyme has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .460. However, it's not like South Kingstown struggles in that department as they've averaged .438. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
East Lyme was able to grind out a solid win over South Kingstown in their previous meeting back in May of 2024, winning 8-4. Do the Vikings have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Rebels turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
