EAST PROVIDENCE — Alyssa Guarino's two-run double in the bottom of the sixth inning put the East Providence High School softball team ahead for good as the host Townies rallied to defeat neighbor Bay View, 5-3, in the preliminary round of the Division I state championship tournament Tuesday night, May 31.

In front of a large crowd, the Townies fell behind 3-0 after the top of the third, but slowly chipped away before taking the lead for good with a three-run sixth.

East Providence, seeded seventh in the event, traveled to second-seeded Cumberland Wednesday, June 1, to start the double-elimination portion of the tourney. The Clippers bested 15th-seeded Toll Gate, 10-1, Tuesday.

“I am just proud of them,” EPHS head coach Rob Traverse said. “We had a nice crowd and couldn't of had a better day. The bright lights came on from the sixth on and some of the things we practiced all year they executed.”

E.P. pitcher Haley Rodriques made quick work of the Bengals in first inning including a strikeout.The Townies then failed to get anything going offensively as they struck out twice.

Rodriques would continue to keep the Bengals off the board as she earned another strikeout in the second inning. The Townies would be kept of the board themselves in the second inning despite Sadie Patterson hitting a double off the fence.

After getting the first out in the third inning, Rodriques allowed four straight hits, including a two-run single by Alexia Botelho that gave Bay View a 3-0 lead. Guarino then helped E.P. respond as she hit a double over the left fielders head. A bunt and a ground ball later, Guarino came running across the plate to cut the Townies’ deficit to 3-1.

In the fourth, freshman pitcher Taylor Babcock would take over in the circle for the Townies and got a quick 1-2-3 inning. E.P. couldn't take advantage of it as it, too, went down in order. Babcock then ran into some trouble in the fifth as she walked two and hit a batter which led to the bases being loaded with one out. But she settled down to strike out back-to-back batters to keep the Bengals off the board.

The Townies next earned a walk and a single to start off the bottom of the fifth before Shelby Mello drove in a run on a single to centerfield. This pulled the locals within one, 3-2, heading into the sixth.

Babcock and the E.P. defense took care of the Bengals in the top of the frame, setting up Guarino's heroics in the bottom half. The Townies started off the sixth with a quick out before Sadie Patterson drew a walk. Emma DaSilva, after being taken out of the game earlier, returned to the lineup and hit a double to the fence, moving Patterson to third. With a runner a third and one out, Coach Traverse made the decision to have Amber Drainville try a suicide squeeze. The bunt was dropped right in front of home plate which led to a very close play at the plate. The ump ruled that Patterson was safe after Bay View missed the tag, tying the game at three. The very next batter was Guarino who drilled a double that brought in two runs and put the Townies ahead 5-3.

“Alyssa has kind of struggled with the bat all year long and she came up with that big double,” Coach Traverse said. “They could have had the ‘here we go again’ feeling and I liked the way we battled."

As they did in the previous inning, Babcock and the E.P. defense held the Bengals, retiring the side in order to seal the victory. The freshman hurler pitched four scoreless innings and had three strikeouts.

“She was great,” Coach Traverse said of Babcock. “To have the kind of poise with that many people here was great. It was really nice to see her succeed.”