The Pilgrim softball team is heading back to Rhode Island College after a 4-3 victory over the Cranston East Thunderbolts Monday afternoon in an elimination game at Aqueduct Field in Cranston.

Pilgrim, coming off a 10-8 loss to Woonsocket on Saturday, and Cranston East, fresh off a 10-4 win over Johnston on Saturday, were both looking to keep their seasons alive.

The Pats brought a 4-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth inning. The ’Bolts would piece together a two-run sixth, starting with back-to-back singles and a walk to load the bases with no outs.

A sacrifice fly to left field and an RBI double play ground out would leave the ’Bolts within one.

Their comeback would fall short as they went down in order in the bottom of the seventh as Pilgrim starter Morgan Almon struck out the side.

Almon finished the day allowing three runs on six hits while striking out eight.

Almon’s performance and the early-inning offense from Pilgrim would both help secure the victory.

The Patriots would strike first in the ballgame. Pilgrim senior Madison Balutowski reached on an error to start the first inning. After a single from shortstop Jeriann Evans, Pilgrim had runners on the corners with no outs.

A base hit RBI for catcher Olivia King would push the Pats up 1-0 after one full. King would finish the day 1-for-3 with two RBIs.

The Pats would add to that lead in the third when King plated Balutowski on a sacrifice fly, and Evans scored on an RBI ground out from sophomore Rachael Serra. After three, Pilgrim led 3-0.

“Getting a lead helped,” Pilgrim head coach Bill Aquilante said. “I think this is the type of game if we had fell behind early we might have let everything sink a little bit. I think having the 3-0 lead really kept us in the game.”

East would chip away at the three-run deficit in the bottom of the fifth. With one out, sophomore Brianna Schneider launched a double off the right field wall. Schneider would score after another double from leadoff hitter Amber Pinheiro.

Heading into the top of the sixth, Pilgrim held on to a 3-1 lead. The Pats added an insurance run as sophomore right fielder Emma Hlavacek lined an RBI single into center field to score Megan Cooney.

Pilgrim’s four runs off of East pitcher Kaitlynn Drowne would be all the offense that it needed.

Drowne finished the day going all seven innings, allowing four runs on seven hits while walking two and striking out a pair.

“The game could have went either way,” Cranston East Head Coach P.J. Bessette said regarding the loss. “If we don’t go down in a 3-0 hole the game could have changed.”

The ’Bolts’ season may have come to an end, but there was plenty of optimism surrounding the conclusion of the season.

“It is a little bittersweet,” Bessette said. “It’s the seniors’ last game and they tried hard. We do have a young team and hopefully we will be back in this situation next year.”

The Pats were set to play Moses Brown at Rhode Island College on Tuesday in another elimination game. They played there three years ago for the first time under Aquilante in the hunt for the D-II championship. This year, after getting a taste of what it is like making it to RIC this past Saturday, Aquilante and his team cannot wait to get back.

“Instead of three years, this time it’s going to be three days,” Aquilante said. “We bounced back from that loss and we really responded well.”