On the heels of a 4-6 start to the season, the CCRI baseball team has won five of its last six games and is now sitting at 9-7 overall.

The good stretch continued with a 15-1 mashing of Mass Bay last Wednesday. The offense exploded for nine runs in the bottom of the first inning, led by Mike Sherburne (North Kingstown), who hit a single and a home run as the team batted around. Ryan Wordell (Little Compton) also contributed two hits and scored two runs in another offensive show by the Knights. Again, solid pitching contributed to a dominating performance as Rob West (East Windsor, Conn.) threw five complete innings, giving up six hits and one run while striking out six to pick up the win. The game was halted after five innings due to the mercy rule.

“The offense continues to pound the ball while the pitching and defense continue to be solid,” Hopkins said after the win. “Mass Bay seemed completely overmatched in this rout.”

The Knights continued to play well on Friday in a 7-3 victory over the Eastern Connecticut JV team. Freshman Ryan O’Dell (Lincoln) led the attack with a single, a double and two RBI. Freshman Patrick O’Keefe (East Greenwich) added a two-run single. Sophomore lefty Max Perry (Pawtucket) was dominant on the mound as he allowed only one earned run and three hits over six innings to pick up the win. Perry also had four strikeouts. Kevin Dale (Warwick), Shane Johnson (Warwick), and closer Jay Ferri (North Kingstown) shut down the Warriors over the final three innings to preserve the win for Perry.

On Saturday, the Knights traveled to Franklin, Mass., and split a Region XXI doubleheader with Dean College. The Knights won the first game 9-1 before dropping the second game 7-5.

CCRI ace Connor Gleason (North Stonington, Conn.) turned in another brilliant performance in game one, going six innings while striking out 10 and giving up just one run. Johnson came on in the seventh and slammed the door by striking out the side.

The Knights broke open a 1-1 tie in the top of the sixth inning by scoring eight runs on four hits and two walks. Joe Yankee (Lincoln) led the Knights’ offensive attack with two hits and three RBI, including a towering double off the top of the center field fence to help break the game open in the sixth inning. Nick Coro (North Providence) also contributed a two-run double in the sixth to give the Knights the lead, and they never looked back. O’Dell continued his hot hitting as he also chipped in with two hits and two RBI.

In game two, Dean broke a 5-5 tie with two runs on wild pitches in the sixth inning on their way to the victory, which snapped a five-game winning streak for CCRI.

The Knights are back in action Thursday when they host the Naval Academy Preparatory School for a game beginning at 4 p.m.

Lady Knights grab first win

After picking up their first victories of the season with a doubleheader sweep of Dean College, the CCRI softball team hit the skids when it was swept in three straight doubleheaders, all by close margins. CCRI is now 2-11 on the season.

CCRI beat Dean 6-0 and 12-2 to get into the win column. Katie Paddock (Providence) got the start in game one and tossed a complete game shutout. She scattered eight hits, struck out four and walked none. Offensively, the Lady Knights scored five times in the first inning on their way to the victory. Liz Coburn (Chepachet) went 2-for-2 with two singles, an RBI and a run scored, while Sara Deal (North Kingstown) added a double and a RBI. Alex Place (East Greenwich), Kate Fowler (Warwick) and Mel Iadeluca (Warwick) each had a hit.

In game two, Macayla Paiva threw five strong innings and the offense had its best performance of the year. The Lady Knights scored nine runs in the first inning and three more in the third before coasting to the mercy-rule victory. Leading the way for CCRI offensively was Place with two hits, two runs scored, and three RBI, Iadeluca with two hits including a double, a run scored and three RBI and Izzy MarcAurele (Cranston), who had a hit, a run scored and three RBI. Brittany Smith (North Providence) added two hits, an RBI and two runs scored and Amber Boucher (Warwick) had two hits and two runs scored.

CCRI was back in action against Monroe and dropped two tough games, 7-5 and 7-3. The Lady Knights were then swept by Suffolk 5-2 and 7-2, and by Massasoit 6-4 and 4-2.