River Ridge senior pitcher Donald Pringle shut down Lincoln with 4.2 impressive innings, allowing just one hit and one unearned run while striking out 10 in the Hawks’ 11-1 season-opening win in Tacoma Wednesday.
Pringle wasn’t the only star for the Hawks. Brothers Jalon Fulton and Jax Fulton suited up for varsity together for the first time and were River Ridge’s top two hitters. Jalon, a senior, knocked in three hits and three RBIs while Jax, a freshman, went 3 for 3 with an RBI and two doubles.
“It was cool for the brothers’ first varsity game to have that success,” River Ridge head coach Ben Rood said.
Pringle ran into trouble in the first inning against the Abes. Willie Ross led off with a single and scored on a passed ball, but the Hawks left a runner stranded at third. Jax Fulton doubled in his first varsity at-bat in the second inning but was out at home on an inning-ending double play.
Jax Fulton’s second at-bat went the same as the first, only this time, his double scored a run to tie the game. Cole Von Rueden contributed the go-ahead run on an RBI single to score Fulton. Jalon Fulton cleared the bases with a three-run triple, aided by an infield error by Lincoln.
Pringle added to his big day with a two-run single in the fifth inning, and a pair of errors tallied two more runs for River Ridge.
The Hawks (1-0, 1-0 Puget Sound League) will play two more games on the road this weekend, first at Bellarmine Friday and then at Yelm Saturday.
