The River Ridge Hawks will square off against the North Thurston Rams at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. River Ridge is coming into the contest hot, having won their last seven games.
If River Ridge beats North Thurston with nine runs on Friday, it's going to be the squad's new lucky number: they've won their past two matches with that exact score. The Hawks came out on top against Peninsula by a score of 9-6 on Wednesday.
Jaylah Sok Vandergriff made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, striking out seven batters over four innings while giving up just one earned run off five hits (and only one walk). She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in six consecutive appearances. She was also stellar in the batter's box, going a perfect 3-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and one stolen base.
In other batting news, Lana Trinidad was incredible, going 1-for-3 with one home run, two runs, and two RBI. Another player making a difference was Raylie Birklid, who went 2-for-4 with two runs, one double, and one RBI.
River Ridge hit smart and finished the game with only two strikeouts. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Peninsula struck out ten times.
Meanwhile, North Thurston made easy work of Capital on Wednesday and carried off a 13-6 victory. The result was nothing new for the Rams, who have now won seven games by six runs or more so far this season.
Syriahs Trolson spent all seven innings on the mound, and it's clear why: she surrendered six earned runs on eight hits.
On the hitting side, the team relied heavily on Giselle Thomas, who fired off two home runs and three RBI while going 2-for-4. Those two home runs gave her a new career-high. Sara Halterman was another key player, getting on base in three of her five plate appearances with two stolen bases and two runs.
North Thurston is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 8-8 record this season. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 16.4 runs over those games. As for River Ridge, their victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 13-6.
Friday's match will be a test for both teams' pitchers. River Ridge hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .408. However, it's not like North Thurston struggles in that department as they've averaged .365. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Everything went River Ridge's way against North Thurston in their previous matchup back in April, as River Ridge made off with a 14-4 win. 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.
