The East Providence baseball team is headed to the Division-1 state championship after senior pitcher Benjamin “Lefty” Hallene and the Townies defense shut out second seeded La Salle 1-0 while hosting the Pod 2 winner’s bracket final on Sunday afternoon in front of “the largest crowd at the new baseball field,” according to Athletic Director Alex Butler.

“My guess was we had about 400 to 450 spectators,” he said. “We had people standing in left field outside the fence and people in cars on the road near tennis courts. It was a great game.”

Third seeded East Providence, with a record of 16-4, will begin a three-game series for the state championship on Thursday at RIC at 4 p.m., with Pod 1 winner, first-seeded Bishop Hendricken, with a record of 17-2.

 

Hallene was tremendous keeping the Rams off balance with his nasty change up and off-speed pitches. He only struck out one batter, but allowed just two hits and a walk in a complete game shutout. After the game, the left-handed pitcher gave all the credit to his teammates on the field, who made 21 putouts behind him. 

“Honestly it was my team,” he said. “They are amazing. I have a world of confidence knowing that I have the best defense in the state behind me. They make all of the plays. I have so much faith in them.”

But it was also his stealthy pitching that kept the La Salle hitters missing. 

“They were just either popping up or missing it,” he said. “I threw a lot of junk.”

Hallene began the season not knowing if or how he would be able to pitch after having Tommy John surgery last summer. 

“I was honestly worried. I had a couple of okay starts, in preseason. And then it clicked. I threw the no-hitter in my first start and it just kept going and I just kept throwing.”

Hallene is undefeated thus far, with a record of 7-0. He was very thankful for his family, coaches and teammates after the game. 

“I’d like to thank everybody. I'm just so happy right now. I'm so thankful and grateful for everybody on the team.”

 

East Providence manufactured their lone run in the bottom of the first inning. Leadoff hitter Aidan Martins singled, moved to second on a walk and took third on a single by Jamison Sydney. Then he scampered home on a sacrifice fly hit by Jonathan Renaud, to give the Townies a slim 1-0 lead. That was all they would need. 

“Aiden always gives us a spark at leadoff,” said Townies head coach Bobby Rodericks. “Whenever he gets on first base, it’s pretty much guaranteed that I’m going to see him at third base that is, if he's not already running by me, to score. That was the one run we needed. It set the tone. We could have had a few more, but we'll take the 1-0 win.”

Coach Rodericks has a lot of respect for La Salle and their coach Tom Pacia. The two coaches have a lot of history. They played against each other in high school. Coach Rodericks played for the Townies, Coach Pacia for the Rams. They have run baseball camps together and now are rival head coaches that face-off against each other several times a season. Though done with a lot of respect as the two coaches hugged and conversed after the game.

“We have a similar coaching style,” said Coach Rodericks. “We are both teachers and build relationships in the class room, in public and on the field. They are a great team. Just to beat La Salle twice in the playoffs, and a third time during the regular season on senior night, it’s just unbelievable.” 

 

The Townies beat Lincoln 2-1 in the Pod 2 opening round at home on Tuesday and beat La Salle 9-4 in the second round at La Salle on Thursday before beating the Rams, winners of the loser's bracket, on Sunday. 

East Providence broke a number of records this season. They have the most regular season wins with 15 and went a perfect 12-0 at home. Townies pitchers accumulated nine shutouts and two no-hitters. 

 

It’s the Townies first trip back to state championship series, since 1945. They have never won the Division 1 title. Coach Rodericks and the team did with the Division 2 championship twice. The first time was in 2014 and the second in 2023.