Prout Advances To Fifth Straight Final Four With Walk-Off Hit
By: William Dayton, GAME ON Contributor
Prout Advances To Fifth Straight Final Four With Walk-Off Hit
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Pardington went 1-for-3 with a run scored to go with the game-winning RBI for the second-seeded Crusaders.
“It always feels great [to get the game-winning hit],” Paddington said. “I’m there to help out my team in whatever way I can. I think it’s a great way to end the game.”
“I feel really good about this year,” he said. “We’re going to get to McCoy Stadium, and we’re going to take it from there.”
Shane Sandoval went 3-for-3 with 2 runs scored, and walked in the bottom of the seventh to set up the game-winning rally. Sandoval advanced to second on a bunt and scored the decisive run.
Marshall Vigneault went the distance for Prout (22-5, 18-4), giving up just four hits over seven innings.
Richard Grenier, Jr. led West Warwick, going 2-for-3 with an RBI.
“It’s a huge sigh of relief,” head coach Mike Labarbera said. “There are certainly expectations that have been built up at Prout. Every year when we go into a season our parents, our community…they talk about McCoy,” he said.
“We try not to talk about it too much until this time in the season but it’s a nice sigh of relief to get over the hurdle, and have a chance to keep playing. It’s pretty cool.”
Prout joins Johnston High and Westerly in the Final Four. Woonsocket and Narragansett will play Saturday at Woonsocket High School to determine the fourth team. Prout will match up with that winner in the first round at McCoy Stadium.