The Cranston East baseball team swept rival West in two games this past week to remain firmly in the Division I playoff race and earn bragging rights in the city.

East rolled to an 11-0 shutout last Friday afternoon and was led by pitcher John Devine, who tossed a five-inning no-hitter.

The Bolts broke things open in the second inning by scoring five runs, then would tack on another five runs in the third to run away with a quick win.

“My pitches felt great today. My fastball, breaking stuff, it all worked. I felt great and I had great defense in the field,” said Devine after the win.

The Falcons nearly spoiled the no-no in the bottom of the fifth when a slow rolling ground ball forced East shortstop Jerusalen Leon to sprint to the ball and make the cross-body throw to first, beating the runner in a photo finish.

“I was just thinking, ‘please make the play.’ I have faith in these guys, I know they have my back, I wasn’t that nervous,” said Devine of the sequence.

Carlos Merejo led the way at the plate, going 2-for-2 with three RBI while Jayden Tolentino, Kelvin Santos and Tony DeFusco all drove in multiple runs as well.

The team’s early offensive output allowed Devine to relax on the mound.

“It helped a lot. When I’m out there, I just try to hold them to as (few) runs as possible so for us to get five runs in the second inning, that was amazing,” said Devine, who has emerged as one of the state’s best pitchers the season. “I’ve been working hard, especially since last season. I’ve been working hard in the gym, working hard in the lab, working on my mechanics. That work has really helped me get guys out.”

“We’ve got John Devine on the mound, the best pitcher in Rhode Island. I’ve been working with him all season, so I know what works for him and we have a great connection,” added Merejo, the team’s catcher. “I told him to keep it down, throw strikes and do the work that he always does.”

The second game on Monday was much closer, as East led just 3-1 in the sixth inning. The Bolts would come up with three runs in the bottom half of the inning, though, to get some insurance and close out the win.

Merejo went 2-for-2 with an RBI while DeFusco, Jayven Alexandre and Santos also knocked in runs. Damien Wholey got the win on the mound for East, tossing five innings and allowing one run while striking out three batters.

Alex Cesseretti drove in West’s lone run. The Falcons’ bats struggled in the series, fishing with just three hits across the two games.

East improved to 11-6 and sits in fifth place in Division I. West dropped to 7-10.

Merejo was excited to get the wins over the rival Falcons and to gain some steam in time for the postseason.

“It was very important. Cranston West and Cranston East have always been great rivals, so the guys were going for it and we won,” said Merejo. “Everybody is humble, everyone knows what we need to do. We didn’t have that last year.”

Devine added: “The more momentum that we can before the playoffs the better. We haven’t made it past the first round since I’ve been here, so that’s the goal.”