Townies Softball & Baseball Win 1st Round. Track & Field Looking Good

A Successful Playoff Saturday For the Townies:
It was playoff Saturday at the East Providence High School athletic campus and both softball and baseball delighted the large crowd with impressive wins. Playing simultaneously, fans could walk between both stadiums to watch games or stay with their team of choice. Win and move on or lose and go home, was the mantra of the day.

EPHS BASEBALL:
Baseball started first at 1 pm with softball underway at 2 pm. The popular McCoy Stadium seats filled quickly as a large crowd turned out for the game. It was a baseball rematch between East Providence and Moses Brown after EP recently defeated MB in a pitcher’s duel. That earlier duel once again featured the Townies senior ace Dylan Annicelli and MB sophomore star, Will Haggerty. Both pitchers know each other well. Both previously pitched for East Providence’s Martin Middle School. Now opposite each other, they were in the RI Interscholastic Playoff spotlight again. As was the case in the May 14th 1-0 EP victory, Annicelli came out on top. Annicelli pitched a complete game 10 strikeout performance to help propel the Townies to the next round of playoff play (Tuesday May 27 at SK). Annicelli only allowed two hits and walked three in going the distance. Haggerty was also very good as he struck out seven, walked three and allowed five hits.

The Townies struck quickly in the first inning. With two outs Aidan Martins drew a walk. Martins got to second on a passed ball and Max Correiro drove a hard line drive to center field driving home Martins for the 1-0 score. As Annicelli was holding down Moses Brown, Max Correiro led off the bottom of the 4th inning with a walk. Chris Charbonneau sacrificed Correiro to second and Correiro would get to third on a passed ball. Oliver Andrews infield hit to third brought Correiro in with the Townies second run. Next up, Tyler Dicecco bunted a single which advanced Andrews to third base. In a confusing series of plays in which the Townies scored a 4th run and were poised to make it 5-0, when a controversial play at home plate, calling for runner interference, put the baserunners back and took the 4th run off the board. The umpires held a lengthy discussion for over 5 minutes but kept to their call.

Undeterred by this chain of events, Annicelli retired MB in quick order for the rest of the game and East Providence played errorless ball in the field in holding on to the opening round playoff win. East Providence will travel to South Kingstown (Old Mountain Field, Wakefield) Tuesday May 27th,  to play the number three seed Rebels. SK beat EP earlier in the season 4-1.

EPHS SOFTBALL:
At the nearby softball stadium at the high school, East Providence defeated Westerly 10-5 before its own large crowd. Westerly jumped out in front with a 2-0 early lead in the second inning. But EP roared back however to take the win. The Townies scored 3 in the second, 4 in the fourth and 3 in the sixth on 13 hits. MMackenzie Pimentel singled and made it to second on an error. Caroline Welch walked and Trinity Provencher got on by a fielder’s choice, Welch moved to second. Sylvia Patterson then singled to left field to score Welch with Provencher taking second base. Marianna Pina cleared the bases with a triple to right field plating Provencher and Patterson.
Ella Grimley led the Townie offense with three hits with Patterson and Pina each getting two hits. Others with hits for EP were Emma Boisseau, Audrey Bernard, Nethania Figueroa, Mackenzie Pimentel, Cassie Dulude and Trinity Provencher. Pina and Dulude combined for the Townie win on the mound with 4 combined strikeouts and allowing 8 hits.

For their win on Saturday, the Townies will next play the number one seed, La Salle Academy on Tuesday, May 27th at La Salle. Gametime is 5:00 pm.

EPHS Boys Track & Field:
The Townies boys outdoor track & field team finished fourth overall at the Class A Championship meet today, Saturday. The following boys placed during the meet: Jack Pawlik 1st place in both the 200 meter and 200 meter, breaking the meet record in both events. Justin Jardine 1st place in the 400 meter with a new Class A Championship meet record. The 4x100 meter relay consisting of Drake Silva, Justin Jardine, Kwamahn Gilliard, and Jack Pawlik 2nd place. The 4x400 meter relay consisting of Justin Jardine, Kwamahn Gilliard, Julius Cortes, and Julian Monteiro 2nd place. Julian Monteiro 3rd in the 300 meter hurdles and 6th place in the 110 meter hurdles. Kwamahn Gilliard 6th place in the 100 meter.