Friday was a whirlwind of action across the state's high school sports scene, with the regular season winding down and playoff positioning on the line. One game, in particular, delivered a comeback for the ages that could shift the momentum for a team that's been fighting all spring.
The Pilgrim softball team has endured a tough season, but Friday night's showdown against Westerly might be the turning point they've been waiting for. Down 9-3 in the sixth inning, the Patriots looked destined for another loss. But in sports, momentum can shift in an instant—and that's exactly what happened.
Westerly came out swinging, scoring two runs in the first inning and building a 4-1 lead by the fourth. After trading runs in the fifth, the Bulldogs seemed to put the game out of reach when Addison Poole launched a three-run home run, making it 9-3. With sophomore pitcher Frankie Arnold in the circle, the lead felt safe—but Pilgrim's Skylar Hawes had other ideas, taking Arnold deep twice earlier in the game.
The sixth inning started quietly for Pilgrim. Addison Dempsey reached on an error, and after a groundout, Lia Wasilewski doubled to bring her home. A single and another groundout followed, then Hawes was intentionally walked to load the bases. A bases-loaded walk cut the deficit to 9-5, but with two outs, the Patriots still had work to do.
Enter Natalie Fratus. On the second pitch she saw, Fratus crushed a grand slam over the center-field fence, knotting the game at 9-9. The energy in the dugout shifted instantly. Gabriella Santiago followed with a single to right, and Dempsey—who started the rally—ripped a ball into the left-center gap, bringing Santiago home with the go-ahead run.
Santiago then closed out the game in the seventh inning, sealing an improbable 10-9 victory and snapping Pilgrim's three-game losing streak. Fratus finished with three hits and four RBIs, highlighted by that game-changing swing. Hawes went 2-for-2 with three RBIs and three runs scored, while Maddie Tuirok added two hits and two runs. For Westerly, Arnold was 4-for-4 at the plate with three runs and an RBI, and Poole drove in three with her home run. Abiagael Emery also contributed two hits in the loss.
It was a reminder that in high school sports, no lead is safe—and sometimes, one big inning can change everything.