The rain finally cleared, and Rhode Island high school sports delivered an unforgettable Thursday packed with playoff-caliber drama. From pitchers' duels to walk-off heroics, here's everything you need to know from the action on the diamond.
St. Raphael Edges Westerly in Ace Showdown
When two teams need a win and both send their aces to the circle, you know it's going to be a classic. That's exactly what happened at Cimalore Field, where St. Raphael's Izzy Sousa and Westerly's Frankie Arnold put on a pitching clinic for the ages. In the end, the Saints scraped together just enough offense to secure a 2-1 victory over the Bulldogs in a game that felt more like a playoff preview than a regular-season clash.
Both teams entered the game separated by fractions of a point in the Division I RPI standings—St. Raphael sitting sixth and Westerly fifth, both breathing down the neck of fourth-place Cranston West. The stakes couldn't have been higher, and both stars delivered under pressure.
All the scoring happened in the first three innings. The Saints struck first on a passed ball, then extended their lead when Piper McMurray ripped an RBI double to bring home Ella Taylor. Westerly finally got on the board when Sousa walked Arnold with the bases loaded and two outs, making it 2-1. But Sousa slammed the door with a strikeout to end the threat—and didn't make another mistake the rest of the game. The senior All-Stater finished with a complete game, allowing just three hits and four walks while punching out nine batters.
Arnold was equally brilliant in defeat, tossing all seven innings with four hits allowed, one walk, and nine strikeouts of her own. The win pushes St. Raphael to 10-3 overall and should vault them past Westerly in the RPI standings. The Saints are off until Monday, when they travel to face Cranston West. For Westerly (9-3), the loss snaps a five-game winning streak and likely drops them to sixth in the RPI.
Huskies Rally for Thrilling Road Win
In another nail-biter, Will Francis delivered the clutch hit of the night, doubling home Trace Dubois—who had walked and stolen second—to break a 3-3 tie in the top of the seventh inning. John Thompson then slammed the door with a scoreless bottom half to secure the Huskies' dramatic road victory. Francis led the offense with two hits, a run scored, and an RBI, while Logan Dubois and Wyatt Hancock also contributed key at-bats.
Coaches, Don't Forget to Report Scores
A quick reminder for all coaches: please send game results each weeknight by emailing pjsports@providencejournal.com between 6 and 10 p.m. Your updates help us keep fans and players informed!