The 2024 playoff season for a couple of East Providence High School entries started well enough with the baseball and boys' tennis teams winning. However, while the former continued its pursuit of a second consecutive league title, the latter saw its dreams of reaching the championship match end with a loss to the reigning champs.

After the third-seeded Townies breezed by visiting and sixth-seeded Prout in the quarterfinal round of the Division II boys' tennis championship tournament Friday, May 24, the locals suffered a similarly one-sided loss to North Kingstown in the semis Tuesday, May 28.

EPHS dispatched the Crusaders by a 4-0 score at the Townie Tennis Center late last week, then fell on the road to the defending D-II champion Skippers by a 4-1 count earlier this week.

James McShane, as he did in a 4-1 loss to NK earlier in the spring, also accounted for the Townies' lone point with his 3-and-2 victory at the top of the ladder over the NK's Charlie Lawton. The EPHS senior one got the better of his Skippers counterpart as well in the regular season by a 6-3, 6-3 score.

However, NK was well on its way to the overall victory after earning wins at second singles as well as first and third doubles. The Skippers later claimed the overall match following Owen Tegan's hard-fought 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 victory over Amaral at fourth singles. 

After avoiding the upset bid of 12th-seeded Chariho in its Division II baseball tourney opener also on May 25, the Townies advanced to the double-elimination main draw of the event and a meeting with fourth-seeded Johnston on the road also Tuesday, May 28, where the locals shutout the host Panthers 2-0.

Dylan Annicelli, who picked up the win against Chariho after facing just one batter, went the full seven-inning distance on the mound for the locals.

East Providence gave its co-ace hurler all the runs he would need by plating a pair of tallies in the top of the first.

Aidan Martins was hit by a pitch to lead off the game. He moved to second on Kyler Lorenz's sacrifice bunt and to third on a Tim Robitaille single. Lorenz then scored when his brother Nolan Lorenz reached on an error. With two out, Nolan Lorenz scored the second EP run when Gavin Palombo's grounder was also misplayed by the Panthers.

Annicelli finished with a two-hitter, struck out six and walked one.

The Townies advance to the winners' bracket final of Pod 1 opposite top-seeded Westerly, 7-4 victors over Burrillville Tuesday, on the road Wednesday, May 29. The winner hosts the Pod final Sunday, June 2. The losers meets the Johnston-Burrillville winner in the losers bracket final Friday, May 31, in either Westerly or East Providence.

Earlier Tuesday, the EPHS trio of Billy Fitzgerald, Nathan Carter and Noah Araujo made the cut in the 2024 state individual golf championship tourney held at Cranston Country Club.

Fitzgerald shot a 75 to sit three strokes off the lead shared by two freshmen: Prout's Rocco Capalbo and LaSalle's Drew MacLeod, who each shot 1-over par 72. Carter carded an 80 and Araujo made the cut on the number with an 82.

The Townies return to Cranston for the second and final round Wednesday, May 29.