Woonsocket Completes Undefeated Season with Division III Baseball Championship

PROVIDENCE – On Monday afternoon, the Woonsocket Villa Novans capped off their Division III baseball season in spectacular fashion. Building on last year’s championship team, they returned several standout players with the intention of repeating their success. On a perfect day at Rhode Island College, they achieved that goal, defeating Blackstone Valley Prep/Central Falls 6-4 on June 8, thus finishing the season with an unblemished record.

Key moments in the game included a critical two-run single by Jordan Plante during a decisive rally, while Braylon Guilbeault dominated on the mound, maintaining an early lead throughout the contest. “The goal was just to win again,” said Guilbeault. “The perfect season came along with it. We played well every game. We showed up every game.” Plante echoed this sentiment, emphasizing their focus on one game at a time as they amassed their victories.

The Villa Novans struck first, scoring single runs in both of the initial innings before exploding with four runs in the top of the third. An error allowed Cesar Vazquez Jr. to reach home, followed by Joe Greenless hitting an RBI double to extend the lead to 4-0. Plante's single through the middle further solidified their advantage, making it 6-0. “All I think is just putting the ball in play,” Plante remarked. “Hit it as hard as you can, whether it’s on the ground or in the air.”

Guilbeault's pitching performance was stellar, as he struck out 10 batters and allowed only eight hits over the course of the game. Although Blackstone Valley Prep/Central Falls managed to score a couple of runs, including a sacrifice fly and an RBI single, they could not close the gap. “When you get that cushion it’s very easy to pitch,” Guilbeault noted, reflecting on the support from his teammates.

As the No. 7 seed, BVP/CF had made a surprising playoff run, reaching their first championship round in program history but ultimately fell short against Woonsocket, who had previously defeated them decisively in their earlier meetings. This victory marks a significant achievement for the Villa Novans, who had not secured a state title since 1986. “We definitely knew that we were going to be good,” Plante said, acknowledging the challenges faced with the loss of key players but expressing pride in their undefeated season.