The River Ridge Hawks will head out to face off against the Lakes Lancers at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (River Ridge has four straight victories, Lakes has four straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the field.
River Ridge took a ten-run defeat the last time they faced off against Timberline, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. The Hawks came out on top in a nail-biter against the Blazers on Wednesday, sneaking past 6-4. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest win the Hawks have posted since April 8, 2024.
Alyssa Shandley made a big impact while hitting and pitching. She pitched seven innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off five hits. She has been consistent recently: she hasn't given up more than two walks in four consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two RBI and one double.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Sophia Rodriguez, who went 2-for-4 with three runs, one stolen base, and one double. That's the most runs she has posted since back in March. Another player making a difference was Lana Trinidad, who went 2-for-4 with two runs and one double.
Meanwhile, Lakes fell victim to North Thurston and their airtight pitching crew on Wednesday. They came up short against the Rams, falling 31-0.
Lakes saw two different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Savanna Newville, who went 1-for-2 with one double.
River Ridge's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 10-6. As for Lakes, their loss dropped their record down to 1-11.
Lakes' pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: River Ridge has been making plenty of contact this season, having averaged 10.4 hits per game. It's a different story for Lakes, though, as they've been averaging 11.6 hits. Given River Ridge's sizable advantage in that area, the Lancers will need to find a way to close that gap.
River Ridge took their win against Lakes when the teams last played back in March by a conclusive 20-2 score. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Hawks since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
