Sacramento Republic FC held off Rhode Island FC for a 2–1 victory at home on Wednesday night, with Kyle Edwards and Mayele Malango finding the net in the first half to secure all three points in USL Championship play.

Edwards opened the scoring in the 19th minute, finishing off a Mark-Anthony Kaye setup to give Sacramento the early advantage. Rhode Island responded quickly. Just five minutes later, Hugo Bacharach equalized, connecting on an Amos Shapiro-Thompson delivery to make it 1–1.

The goal breathed life into a Rhode Island side that had started on the back foot, and the game grew testy — Sacramento's Ryan Spaulding picked up a yellow card in the 26th minute as challenges intensified. But for all of Rhode Island's momentum after the equalizer, they couldn't keep things level going into the break. Kaye proved the difference-maker again in the 44th minute, this time setting up Malango, who restored Sacramento's lead just before halftime.

The second half was a more controlled affair from the hosts. Rhode Island's Aldair Sanchez was cautioned in the 51st minute, and the visitors struggled to create the same urgency they had shown after Bacharach's goal. Sacramento managed the game well enough to see out the result without major scares.

Kaye's two-assist performance was the standout contribution, pulling the strings behind both Sacramento goals and underlining his importance to the attack.

The win gives Sacramento Republic FC valuable points at home as the season pushes deeper into summer, keeping them in the mix in a congested USL Championship table.