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The best softball team in RI played the best softball team from Massachusetts. Here’s who won

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The best softball team in RI played the best softball team from Massachusetts. Here’s who won


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The best softball team in Rhode Island is beatable.

It just takes the best team in Massachusetts to do it.

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Saturday was as good as it gets for local softball as La Salle, the two-time defending Rhode Island state champ, hosted Taunton, the four-time Massachusetts state champion. The Rams struck first, but came apart in the sixth and the Tigers took advantage to pull out the 7-4 win.

Both teams are favored to win state titles in their respective states this spring and both arrived at Brown University with impressive win streaks. Taunton’s last loss came on May 22, 2023, a 1-0 defeat at the hands of rival King Philip. La Salle’s last defeat came almost one month earlier, an 8-5 loss to Cranston West on April 24, 2023. Something had to give.

The Rams wasted no time in getting on the board first and it wasn’t a surprise to see how it happened. Phoenyx Silva, the three-time All-Stater headed to the University of Iowa to play next spring, got caught behind 1-2 in the count, kept the at-bat going, then hit a ball to the moon, a solo homer to make it 1-0 after the first inning.

Taunton miscues helped La Salle add to the lead in the third. Leading off the third, Samantha Sell was drilled by Tiger starter Catherine Larson and after a groundout, Alivia Barry reached on a misplayed ball by second baseman Madison Crowley.

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Diana Hall followed with a single and that Silva managed to score on. Lily Roumelis followed with a groundout that made it 3-0.

The lead looked safe. Through five innings, La Salle starter Hailey Vigneau was cooking the Tigers. Outside of a one-out triple in the first inning – which Vigneau escaped from after getting two soft pop-outs to end the inning – Taunton struggled to do much with anything Vigneau had to offer. After the triple by Mia Torres, Vigneau retired 14 of the next 16 Taunton hitters.

Things changed drastically in the sixth.

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A bloop single by Corraro got things started. Torres followed with an infield single and Bella Bourque’s fly ball to center was misread, booted, and wasn’t picked up, allowing two runs to score.

Bailey followed with a single to left on another misread ball and after an out, Larson drew a walk and a single by Gracie Oliveira loaded the bases. Ashlyn Hebert hit a hard grounder to third that Silva fielded cleanly and fired home, but Samantha Sell couldn’t come up with the play at the plate and Bailey came in with the go-ahead run.

Vigneau followed with a huge strikeout, but Victoria Corraro ripped a triple to left field that cleared the bases to make it 7-3.

La Salle tried to rally in the bottom half, but Kayleigh Ventura’s leadoff single was erased on a double play on a nice snag by Oliveira, who stepped on the bag for the second out. Kershaw followed with a triple and Vigneau hit a single to bring her in, but the scoring stopped there for La Salle.

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Larson was at her best when Taunton needed her most. Facing the top of the La Salle order – Alivia Ring, Silva and Diana Hall – Larson induced a groundout, a soft liner and a groundout that ended the game. Larson finished the day spreading out seven hits over seven innings while giving up three earned runs and striking out five.

The loss will serve a fuel to La Salle’s fire as it finishes the regular season this week. Tuesday the Rams host Smithfield, a team that gave the Rams a scare in a 3-1 game on Opening Day, before closing the regular season at Pilgrim on Thursday.

La Salle has already secured the No. 1 seed for the upcoming Division I playoffs.



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Rhode Island

Married couple from R.I. identified as victims in fatal Swansea crash

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Married couple from R.I. identified as victims in fatal Swansea crash


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The two victims were identified as a husband and wife from Rhode Island, local officials said.

A Rhode Island husband and wife in their 50s were identified as the two people killed in a Swansea car crash Friday night.

Carlolyn Carcasi, 54, and James Carcasi, 53, of Bristol, Rhode Island, were killed in the Feb. 27 crash, the office of Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn said in a press release Monday.

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The crash occurred at the intersection of Route 136 and Route 6 in Swansea, Quinn’s office said.

Police in Cranston, Rhode Island identified the driver who allegedly hit the couple as Demitri Sousa, 28. Sousa allegedly shot and killed a man in Rhode Island nearly four hours before the crash, Cranston police said.

At around 12:18 a.m. Friday, Swansea police spotted Sousa’s Infiniti barreling down Route 6, Swansea officials said previously.

The couple was driving southbound on Route 136 when the Sousa crashed into the side of a Subaru Ascent. Both cars had “catastrophic damage,” and the Subaru was engulfed in flames, Swansea fire and police officials said. 

Both occupants of the Subaru were declared dead at the scene, Swansea officials said.

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Sousa was transported to a local hospital, where he is being treated for serious injuries. He is expected to live and will be held in Cranston police custody until he is medically cleared, police said Sunday.

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Women’s Fund of Rhode Island, leaders celebrate Women’s History Month with panel event

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Women’s Fund of Rhode Island, leaders celebrate Women’s History Month with panel event


Women’s Fund of Rhode Island and U.S. Sen. Jack Reed celebrated Women’s History Month in Cranston with a panel discussion on Monday.

The event was held at the Cranston Public Library at 9 a.m.

Reed and other leaders of WFRI hosted a panel discussion with women leaders in environmental and agricultural advocacy, education, community resilience, housing, finance, workforce development, and more, officials said.

Women’s Fund of Rhode Island and U.S. Sen. Jack Reed celebrated Women’s History Month in Cranston with a panel discussion on Monday. (WJAR)

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“Women have played a critical role in this process, most often without any recognition,” Reed said. “Today’s panel brings together an extraordinary group of women who are addressing the challenged of sustainability from various angles and I want to thank you all for your great efforts.”

The panelists highlighted their experiences, shared insights and tips on lifting up women’s voices, provided strategies for sparking change and more.

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According to officials, some of the panelists included Executive Director of the Rhode Island Food Policy Council Nessa Richman, Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives at Rhode Island College Kim Bright, Newport Housing Authority Executive Director Rhonda Mitchell and more.

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Man allegedly kills man in R.I. before causing car crash that killed 2 in Mass.

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Man allegedly kills man in R.I. before causing car crash that killed 2 in Mass.


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“On behalf of the Cranston Police Department, I want to extend my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Javon Lawson and the two individuals who were killed in the crash in Swansea,” Col. Michael J. Winquist said.

A Seekonk man is accused of murder after he allegedly shot and killed a man in Rhode Island before causing a car crash in Swansea that killed two people last week, police said.  

Demitri Sousa, 28, is charged with murder, using a firearm while committing a crime of violence, and carrying a pistol without a license, the Cranston Police Department said.

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The shooting occurred Thursday night in Cranston, police said in a press release.

That night, Sousa allegedly arrived at the Cranston home of Javon Lawson, 35. Sousa began banging on the side door of the home, police said. 

When Lawson approached the door, he was hit by gunfire from outside, police said.

First responders transported Lawson to the Rhode Island Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Cranston police said.

“Based on the preliminary investigation, the motive is believed to be a dispute between the suspect and the victim over a mutual female acquaintance. Detectives are continuing this investigation to gain more insight, as well as to collect and analyze evidence,” Colonel Michael Winquist, Chief of Cranston police, said in an emailed statement to Boston.com.

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Neighbors gave police video footage that “showed a male subject wearing dark clothing and a mask walking toward the residence moments before the shooting and fleeing immediately afterward,” Winquist said.

The suspect was also seen running to a white Infiniti sedan which then drove off, the Cranston police chief said.

Shortly after the shooting, a license plate reader captured the vehicle driving southbound on Route 10, and then later in Fall River and Westport, Massachusetts. The sedan’s license plate was registered in Sousa’s name, Winquist said.

At around 12:18 a.m. Friday, Swansea police spotted Sousa’s Infiniti barreling down Route 6, Swansea officials said.

Just moments later, Sousa allegedly “crashed into the side of another vehicle, a blue 2022 Subaru Ascent that had been traveling southbound on Route 136,” Swansea Police Chief Mark Foley and Fire Chief Eric Hajder said in a joint press release.

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Both vehicles had “catastrophic damage,” and the struck car was engulfed in flames, the Swansea officials said.

The driver and passenger of the hit car — a man and a woman — were declared dead at the scene, they said.

“Swansea Police had been alerted to be on the lookout for the suspect vehicle. However, Swansea Police were not involved in the pursuit and were not pursuing the vehicle at the time of the crash,” the Swansea chiefs wrote. Swansea official have not announced charges related to the fatal crash.

Sousa had been driving the Infiniti and appeared to be suffering from serious injuries, Winquist said. Inside the car, police found a pistol and “additional .22 caliber ammunition was recovered” from Sousa at Rhode Island Hospital, Winquist said.

Police arrested Sousa and transported him to Rhode Island Hospital. Sousa is expected to survive, Winquist said. Sousa will be held in Cranston police custody until he is conscious and medically cleared, Winquist said.

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“On behalf of the Cranston Police Department, I want to extend my deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Javon Lawson and the two individuals who were killed in the crash in Swansea,” Winquist said.

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