WEST WARWICK – West Warwick baseball’s title hopes are boiling.
The Wizards just found a gritty performance at a windswept McCarthy Field against one of the league’s hottest teams. Thursday night’s finish might have slipped away from the Wizards in years past. But the No. 2 seed in Division II play has nearly ended its championship drought in each of the last three seasons.
The all-too-close losses have only built this senior class as it heads to the Pod 2 Championship after a 6-4 victory over No. 3 North Providence in the Winners’ Final. The Wizards await the winner of North Providence and Chariho on May 31. First pitch is TBD.
It’s the second time in three seasons that West Warwick reached a Pod final as it also finished runner-up in D-III in 2024. Rogers clipped the Wizards, 5-2, in Game 3 of the series at McCarthy Field.
The Wizards were promoted to D-II last season after the championship loss that would’ve netted the program their first title since 2002. The program followed with a 14-7 season, which saw the Wizards win two playoff games before getting bounced in the double-elimination quarterfinals.
“The last three years, we’ve come close, and we come back knowing that we have to fight,” said Joe Riviera, who went 2-for-3 with a run scored. “Knowing that if we keep fighting, we can make it far, and that’s what we’re doing this year.”
North Providence, which ended the season winning eight of its last nine games, jumped on West Warwick early with a double and consecutive errors by the hosts. The 2-0 lead didn’t unravel West Warwick; it tightened its defense and got to work in the second frame.
Mason Hunt stranded two in scoring position in the top half, and then West Warwick took advantage of a North Providence error to even the game. A dropped third out at third base turned into an RBI double by Charles Brown, who then scored on another error.
“It feels great – I can always trust my team,” said Hunt, who secured the win with four innings pitched. “The defense is great. I didn’t have my best stuff today, but I can just trust my defense and get through the win.
“We just stayed together and didn’t lose our composure. We just had to get some hits and get on the board.”
The Wizards plated three more runs in the third inning after consecutive walks from Riviera and Anthony Burt started the sequence. Nick Andruchow sent both home on a triple to center and then scored on a sacrifice fly by Hunt. West Warwick, despite getting outhit 12-5, added an insurance run in the sixth as Jair Blanco tripled to center and scored on a ground out by Brown.
“Playing together is the biggest part of our game,” Andruchow said. “Last year we had some individual [talent] and we weren’t really playing together. I feel like that’s why we got bounced early, but this year we have a really good team atmosphere, and I think we can go all the way.”
Freshman Michael Sabetta tossed three innings of relief, allowing two unearned runs on five hits with two walks. The righty stranded runners on first and second with a lineout to left field to finish off the Cougars.
“We’re a big team,” Riviera said. “West Warwick baseball is a family. We come here locked in and do our jobs for each and every one of us and whoever’s pitching, we got their back.”
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: West Warwick-North Providence playoff baseball score May 28, 2026
