The Cranston West softball team extended its win streak and beat Moses Brown 4-1 in the opening round of the Division I playoffs last week at home.

Despite falling behind 1-0 in the first inning, the Falcons would battle their way back thanks to sharp pitching from Mia Crudale and timely hitting down the stretch.

Crudale finished the day with 10 strikeouts and allowed just one run on four hits. Sofia Marella knocked in the tying run in the third inning, then freshman Mia Baffoni made a splash in her postseason debut by driving in two go-ahead runs in the sixth while Mia Santomassimo added another to run away with the win.

“It was good because we were facing (Moses Brown’s) Anna Costello. She’s one of the best pitchers in the state, it was tough giving up that first run because we didn’t know how we’d respond. Crudale pitched a hell of a game and gave us the chance to score. Sofia did what she always does, she came up clutch,” said West coach PJ Bessette.

Bessette also credited Baffoni, who got the nod in the starting lineup after spending much of her freshman season on the bench.

“For a freshman, that was a tough spot for her. As a coach, you play hunches. We put Mia out there and it paid off. It’s big for her and her confidence. Her name being called into the starting lineup gave her confidence and she earned it. It’s good for her to come through like that,” Bessette said.

The Falcons started the spring hot and cooled off midseason, at one point losing three straight games to drop in the standings. They have since rebounded, winning their final four games of the regular season then beating the Quakers in the opening round.

The key to the turnaround has been thanks to gaining experience and executing the basics, according to Bessette.

“We only had three returning starters. Having that inexperience during games, we lost some games because of that. We’ve won five in a row now. Mia (Crudale) can pitch and we’ve hit and played defense,” said Bessette.

The Falcons hit the road to take on Prout on Tuesday night, but the results were not available at press time.