Sports Update

Townie baseball seniors Ziurel, Jack, Chico and Austin

RMS softball team had an undefeated division title season. These 8th graders moving on to high school next year

Townie Athletic Director Alex Butler introducing Keira Quadros, Brookelyn Feola, Ryleigh Grant, Josley Sosa, Ava Mendence, Martim Moniz, Manny Santos, Jack McKnight, Yusef at college signing day

Members of the EPHS girls track team were very sucessful this year

Ava Mendence and family on EPHS softball senior night. Feeney's Flicks photo

EPHS Unified Arts Basketball State Champions 2023

Unified basketball champions celebrating with coaches and players at EPHS. School photo

Two year old Jaxon Rodericks enjoying ice cream in a souvenir Red Sox cap at a little league game at Rodericks Field named in 1975 for his great grandfather. Jaxon's dad coaches the Townie varsity baseball squad.

Townie's Emma Bergeron taking the throw at first base. Paul Tumidajski photo

Townies loving their new baseball team

Townie volleyball in action against West Warwick. Herd photo

Townie tennis action. Paul Tumidajski photo

Townie softball in late May action. Paul Tumisajski photo

Townie Jack McKnight on senior night at EPHS

Townie baseball senior Manny Santos and family

Townie baseball senior Zuirel Vargas and family

Townie baseball senior Austin Martins and parents

Townie baseball heading into playoff action

Townie baseball captains Jack McKnight and Manny Santos. Katie Santos photo

The Townies Emma Nordquist racing toward the goal in lacrosse action. Paul Tumidajski photo

The Rumford Little league concession stand will be busy during the 2023 All-Star game at Kim Rock Field..

Ziurel Vargas throwing heat for EP. Paul Tumidajski photo.

RMS softball team in action last month at The RecRMS softball team in action last month at The Rec

North Smithfield head coach and EPHS graduate Jon Leddy with son Colin Leddfy, a Townie announcer and scorekeeper.

More Townie playoff tennis. Paul Tumidajski photo.

Members of the EPHS student body boosters called The Herd, were present all year at Townie athletic events

Mackenzie Pimentel at bat for EPHS. Paul Tumidajski photo.

Martin middle school made it to the playoffs eventually losing a close 2-1 game to alway tough Curtis Corner MS

Little league season is well underway throughout East Providence

L to R former Townie team mates Bob Rodericks and Jon Leddy now head coaches for EPHS and North Smithfield.

Kyler Lorenz of EP with the tag out. Paul Tumidajski photo.

Kyle Lorenz making it to third base for EP in a win last month. Katie Santos photo.

Kenna Wigginton about to score for EP lacrosse. Paul Tumidajski photo

Keira Quadros and Ava Mendence represented EPHS softball at the 2023 Alice Sullivan RI All-Star Game.

Josley Sosa of the Townies. Paul Tumidajski photo.

Jack McKnight scoring early for the Townies in their win over Ponagansett. Katie Velino Santos photo.

Great catch by EP catcher Brian Rutkowski. Paul Tumidajski photo.

EPHS Unified Basketball team gains finals.

EPHS baseball on a winning streal last month.

Emma Boisseau hitting for the Townies. Paul Tumidajski photo.

Dylan Annicelli pitching for Townie baseball. Paul Tumidajski photo

Bay View softball rolls along. Sarah Troslin has thrown four no-hitters so far. Bay View Ayhletics photo.

Bay View lacrosse wins quarterfinal match and moves on in state playoffs. Bay View athletics photo.

Bay View Academy Junior Annabelle Tracy recently scored her 100th career goal in lacrosse. Bay View athletics photo.

Baseball can be cold in May for these little league fans.

Ava Mendence and Keira Quadros represented EPHS softball at the 2023 Alice Sullivan RI All-Star Game.

A key bunt in Townie victory over Ponagansett. Photo by Hailey Isabella

Rumford little league action in full swing

Manny Santos 2023 winner of Donat Maynard baseball excellence award.

We're not done.

Townie Junior Steven Estrella makes great catch in the outfield.

Our team wins

Some of the large crowd at EP-Ponagansett game.

Ziurel Vargas played another solid game at first base

Coach Bobby Rodericks and Austin Martins

Chico Santos had a multi-hit game.

Brian Rutkowski behind the plate for EP

Tim Robitaille hurls one-hit victory in Q-Final.

Chico Santos had a multi-hit game

Nolan Lorenz with a spectacular catch for EP

Posted Friday, June 2, 2023 10:54 am

by Bob Rodericks

As of the June Reporter publication, several local teams are finishing up successful Spring seasons and are in state playoff action. Local youth sports are in full swing and little league fans will have a special treat this summer. Rumford Little League has been chosen to host the major division All-Star tournament at the Kimberly Ann Rock Memorial Athletic Complex off Ferris Avenue in Rumford. You can get updates on school playoff action and other youth sports information by checking ReporterToday.com.

EPHS Softball
The EPHS softball team concluded a very successful D1 season and are playing well entering state playoff action. The team finished with a 12-8 record and has a playoff game scheduled against Chariho at home on May 30^th. ReporterToday will update the score. Many of the teams 8 losses on the season were in close games, losing by a run or two.

The team defeated Smithfield 1-0 in their last regular season game before playoffs. Keira Quadros pitched a shut out, with 6 strikeouts and 2 walks. “Our defense was perfect, with outfielders Kayleen Kim, Trinity Provencher, and Mariel De Jesus all providing big defensive stops, while Josley Sosa continued her strong showing at second base, Emma Bergeron played a solid first base, and Ava Mendence locked it down behind the plate,” said coach Katie Kenahan. The Townies only run came in the top of the 7th. Nethania Figueroa got on base when a hard hit ball to third was overthrown at first, moving her to second base. Keira Quadros laid down a great bunt, moving Figueroa to third. A passed ball scored Figueroa, giving the Townies the only run they needed to win.

In earlier action, EP defeated Prout 2-1, in what proved to be a defensive battle. In the top of the first, the Townies took advantage of some pitching struggles, bringing in a run on a string of walks. In the second inning, Senior Captain Keira Quadros hit a triple to start the inning. Trinity Provencher hit a deep sacrifice RBI Fly ball to right, scoring the second run for the Townies. “That was all the damage the girls would do offensively for the day, but it proved to be enough,” said coach Kenahan. Emma Boisseau was 2 for 4 with two singles, and Sylvie Patterson was 1 for 1 with a single. In the bottom of the 6th, Prout rallied. But with runners on second and third and one out, senior captain Ava Mendence caught a pop up bunt for the 2nd out, and threw to second on a heads up play to catch a runner off the bag on the tag up. The runner at third scored before the out was called, bringing the score to 2-1 but ending the inning. The Townies defense settled and closed out the game. Quadros had 10 strikes and one walk, two strikeouts which came in the bottom of the 7th.

Other action saw the Townies defeating Scituate 12-1. Trinity Provencher led the game off with a double, was moved to second on a grounder to third by Senior Captain Josley Sosa, and eventually brought in with an RBI single from senior captain Ava Mendence. The Townies were quiet until the third, when Mendence hit a one out double. Emma Boisseau moved her to third on a ground out to short, and Senior Captain Emma Bergeron scored her with a well-placed 2 out RBI single. In the 4th, freshmen Nethania Figueroa hit a one out single, scoring on a two out RBI double by freshman Trinity Provencher.

Scituate scored their lone run in the top of the 5th, with singles from Haley Nickerson, Jade Zuena, and Eliza Angeloti, but the Townies cracked it open in the bottom of the 5th. Singles from Mendence, Emma Boisseau, and Emma Bergeron, combined with a double from Sophomore Mackenzie Pimentel, gave the Townies a 6-1 lead. “In the Bottom of the fifth, our bats continued to dominate. A no out single from Sosa started the inning, moving to second on a walk for Mendence. Emma Boisseau scored Sosa on an RBI single. Emma Bergeron continued a hot hitting day with a no out 2 RBI double, followed by a single for Senior Captain Keira Quadros. It was Freshman pinch hitter Cassie DuLude who ended the game, with a walk off 3 run bomb to right field, putting the mercy rule into effect,” added Kenahan. The Keira Quadros/Ava Mendence pitcher catcher duo had 10 strikes out with only one walk on the game.

EPHS Baseball
East Providence baseball had a run of six consecutive wins in May and will be playing in 1^st round playoff action against Ponagansett on Thursday, June 1^st at home. ReporterToday.com will update the Townies playoff results and schedule. In games last month, the 14-6 Townies defeated Cranston East, Saint Ray’s, Tiverton, Woonsocket (twice), Ponagansett and North Smithfield. The Townies suffered two losses, Westerly and Ponagansett. East Providence has received excellent pitching from 10th grader Tim Robitaille and also from another 10th grader, Dylan Annicelli during the win streak. Robitaille has been impressive with a couple of ono-hitters.

“I think we’ll give it a good shot in the playoffs, we need to hit a little better but we’re young and that also looks good for the future of Townie baseball,” said coach Bobby Rodericks. East Providence is only graduating four seniors: Jack McKnight, Zuirel Vargas, Chico Santos and Austin Martins.

EPHS Volleyball
The Townie boys volleyball team under the direction of coach Dan Cabral will also be entering playoff action with a Quarterfinal playoff game scheduled for June 1^st against Lincoln at Lincoln. The Townies were competitive in most games ending the regular season with an 11-8 record. Townie wins in May were against Pilgrim, Central, West Warwick and Toll Gate.

In the Townies 3 games to 1 win over Pilgrim, DJ Lepine was impressive with 25 Kills and 12 Digs. Jordan Roriguez had 12 Digs and 4 Aces while Andrew Espada added 4 Kills and 4 Blocks as Ep took the match.

Other winning action saw the Townies defeat Toll Gate 3 games to 1, 25-21, 25-22, 20-25, 25-16

And the JV team prevailed also 2-0. Varsity highlights were Xavier Graca’s 12 Kills 10 Digs,

Logan Calouro’s 20 Digs and 4 Aces.

In a loss to Westerly, Jordan Rodriguez worked hard with 24 Digs and 3 Aces while DJ Lepine had 19 Kills and 4 Aces. “On most nights our squad works hard and I’m happy to see us enter playoff action. I know we’ll give it our best,” said coach Dan Cabral.

EPHS Girls Track
The Girls Track Team competed late last month at the Class A Championships, finishing 6th overall with 51 points. The 4x100m relay finished 4th overall and the 4x400m relay finished 3rd. “Our teams consisted of Nazarae Phillip, Kandace Daniel, Kendra Daniel, Giselle Raphael, Samantha Clarke, and Kiera Mullen. Individual performers who did outstanding were Phillip finishing 3rd in the 100m and 4th in the 200m. Clarke finishing 2nd in the 400m, Mullen finishing 4th in the 100m hurdles and 3rd in the 300m hurdles. Also Kendra Daniel finishing 8th in the 200m and 100m. Audrey Lepine finishing 5th and Madison Slavick finishing 9th in the long jump. Katherine Patalano finishing 8th in the 800m and Aliyah Evora in the 200m,” reports coach Michael Almeida.

EPHS Girls Lacrosse
The Division III 10-4 returning league champion Townie girls’ lacrosse team is in the state playoffs again. East Providence defeated Cranston East 11-2 in late May in quarterfinal action. East Providence defeated Ponagansett, Cranston East, Westerly in May, and the quarterfinal win over Cranston east on May 25th by an 11-2 score. Townie senior Ryleigh Grant led all scorers with six goals. Grant is the Div-III midfielder of the year. Check ReporterToday.com for playoff updates.

EPHS Boys Tennis
The Boys tennis team has started the season with a 6-1 record after moving up from Division III to Division II. The team finished the season strong and once again was in the state playoffs. However, the Townies lost a close opening round playoff game to higher seeded Tiverton 4-3 in a match which was up in the air until the end. The Townies finished the year with a 9-5 overall record.

Riverside MS Softball
Riverside Middle School softball won the Divisional title with an overall 9-0 record on the season. The team had 7 league wins and two non-league. After a tremendous undefeated season, the Vikings finally lost in the state semifinals to Gallagher MS, late last month. The Vikings prevailed in the first round of playoff action with an exciting win over Ponagansett. Ponagansett struck first, coming out strong scoring two runs in the first inning. Tess Farnsworth pitched impressively, holding Ponagansett to just two hits while striking out nine. “There were some amazing plays in the field by Shelby Quinn, Jamie Andrews, Avery Duarte and Alyssa Finona. and as always, Caroline Welch was a rock behind the plate, said coach Rick Farnsworth. Offensively, Avery Duarte dominated with two singles and a double, going 3-3. Followed closely, with pivotal hits by Shelby Quinn, Ella Grimley and Caroline Welch. In the bottom of the seventh , with the score tied 5 to 5 and one runner on, Tess Farnsworth ended the game with an exciting walk off triple.

In earlier league action, RMS defeated Kickemuit 16-4. RMS showed outstanding defense and great pitching from Ella Grimley. The Viking bats were powerful as always scoring 16 runs for the win. “The highlight of this game was not so much the score as it was being able to celebrate the players accomplishments,” said the coaches after the game. “The coaches and families were able to honor the eighth graders who have dominated over the last few years. Newcomer Layla Bates has made astounding improvements as a player, like starting in centerfield and doubling in the game and doing this all as a first year player. Sophia Vieira, is also a starter and a pivotal player. Her kindness, positivity and skills can turn the team around at any point, making a huge impact on the game,” said coach Farnsworth.

“Jamie Andrews, a captain, has great leadership qualities, self-confidence and athletic ability that allows her to bring the RMS team to the next level. Her upbeat and witty sense of humor keeps the team going at all times. And Shelby Quinn, also a captain. Great in the field and amazing at the plate. She is an overall powerhouse player and impressive to watch. She has helped lead this team to what it is today,” added coach Farnsworth.

The Vikings topped Tiverton in an away game earlier. The game was neck and neck for the first five innings. Then in the 6th inning, the Vikings’s bats came alive. Among those who had a stellar offensive day at the plate were Amelia Leddy, and Sophia Vieira, both getting doubles, Alyssa Finona, going 3 for 5 at the plate with a triple and Caroline Welch going 4 for 5 including a triple. Tess Farnsworth went 3 for 4 at the plate and had a home run. Topping it all off for the game was Shelby Quinn going 4 for 5 and hitting for the cycle. Tess Farnsworth pitched and struck out 9 batters for the complete game victory.

Martin MS Softball
Martin softball also had a great season with a 5-2 regular season record. The team made it to the state playoffs but eventually lost out to Gallagher middle school. “The season featured a lot of great moments. Marianna Pina (8th) and Audrey Bernard (8th) were a strong pitcher/catcher duo. Both girls actually hit their first out of the park homeruns at Pierce Field against Gaudet Middle School. Abby Almeida played great defensively at shortstop all year with great at bats. Kriszel Cavaco (3rd basemen) turned out to be an amazing bunter who laid many beautiful bunts down for us. We had a lot of new players who grew throughout the season, which has been great to watch,” said coach Donna Dugan.

MMS lost a close 1-0 battle against an undefeated RMS in the 1^st annual Mayor’s Cup game at EPHS, followed by their only other loss to Gaudet MS.

EPHS Students Recognized on College Signing Day
In a ceremony at East Providence High School in late May, Townie athletic director Alex Butler, introduced ten Townie senior student-athletes who signed letters of intent to attend college in the Fall. Townie graduates will be playing sports in baseball, softball, volleyball, football and wrestling. The student-athletes and their colleges are:

Yusef Abdullah: UMass Dartmouth (Football)
Brookelyn Feola: Rhode Island College (Volleyball)
Ryleigh Grant: Roger Williams (Lacrosse)
Manny “Chico” Santos: Roger Williams (Baseball)
Jack Mcknight: Rhode Island College (Baseball)
Ava Mendence: Roger Williams (Softball)
Keira Quadros: Roger Williams- Softball
Josley Sosa: Roger Williams (Softball)
Jacob Poore: WPI (Wrestling)
Martim Moniz: Concordia (Wrestling)

“We want to say thank you and good luck today,” EPHS Athletic Director Alex Butler told the students. “You will always be Townies and are always welcomed back here. These are awesome kids, the best of the best at EP,” Butler told the students and families.

Popular Annual Townie Baseball Camp at new EPHS Turf Field
The 2023 Friends of Townie Athletics Baseball Camp will be held from Monday, July 24 to Friday, July 28 at the EPHS Baseball Turf field. Players T-Ball through high school are welcome. Camp runs from 9 am to 12:30 pm each day.

The mission of the camp is to teach skills, proper techniques, and the correct approach to the game, all in a fun-filled atmosphere. Personalized tee shirts will be provided to participants who register early. Registration on a first come first serve basis. Register early to secure a spot! Late registrations accepted, but no guarantee on camp shirt.

Campers should bring own equipment! Campers are encouraged to bring own water! Box lunches will be available for those who want one.

Hitting, Fielding, Bunting, Base-running, Pitching. Competitions. Pitching drills and warm-ups with Pro and College Pitchers. Game competition! Fun contests with prizes and awards!

CAMP DIRECTOR: Townie Coach Bobby Rodericks
PE/Health Teacher EP School Dept. 2007-Present, EPHS Head Baseball coach 2012-present, RMS/MMS coach 2005-present, 2014 Division II State Champions, 2014 RI Coach of the Year, Dir. of ATC Training Facility 2009-present.

CAMP COACHES: EPHS Baseball Staff, MMS/RMS Baseball Staff, Former Townie All-Staters, Local Collegiate Players, Representatives from Central, Riverside and Rumford LL

To secure a Camp spot due to high interest in the EPHS Turf Complex, please Register early & send payment ASAP. Check made out to: “Friends of Townie Athletics.” All Proceeds Benefit EPHS Baseball & EP Middle School Sports. For Registration forms and price information, etc, email: bobbyrodericks@aol.com. Local little leagues will also have forms.