The River Ridge Hawks will square off against the North Thurston Rams at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
River Ridge's pitching crew heads into the contest hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Tuesday. They blew past Lakes 18-0. The Hawks haven't had any issues with the Lancers recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive win against them.
Raylie Birklid
| 05/05/26 @ Lakes | 9 |
| 04/23/26 @ Timberline | 4 |
| 04/20/26 vs Silas | 7 |
| 04/16/26 @ North Thurston | 2 |
| 04/13/26 @ Central Kitsap | 2 |
| + 3 more games |
Raylie Birklid made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out nine over five innings pitched. That's the most strikeouts she has posted since back in March. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going 3-for-5 with two triples, four RBI, and two runs. Those triples were her first of the season.
River Ridge was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .421. They are a perfect 5-0 when they post a batting average of .375 or better.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for North Thurston, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Wednesday. They were the clear victors by a 27-2 margin over Capital on Monday. The high-scoring effort was just what the Rams needed considering they were shut out in their previous matchup.
Like River Ridge, North Thurston also got a great game from a two-way player: Paige Guyer. She didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit while striking out eight over five innings pitched. Guyer was also big at the plate, going 4-for-5 with five runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.
In other batting news, Saidee Trolson was incredible, firing off five runs, four doubles, and four RBI while going 4-for-4. Another player making a difference was Syriahs Trolson, who went 2-for-4 with five RBI, two runs, and one triple.
North Thurston's victory bumped their record up to 9-7. As for River Ridge, their win bumped their record up to 8-9.
River Ridge's speedy runners might be the difference in Wednesday's game. The Hawks have been swiping bases left and right this season, having averaged 3.3 stolen bases per game. It's a different story for North Thurston, though, as they've been averaging an even more impressive 1.3 stolen bases. Will they be able to secure the bases, or will River Ridge continue to outrun the ball?
River Ridge suffered a grim 14-1 defeat to North Thurston when the teams last played back in April. Will the Hawks have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other softball content.
