The River Ridge softball team made quick work of Capital 14-4 in five innings Wednesday at the Regional Athletic Complex.
It was the Cougars who took the first punch in the first inning, as Lola McKeone, who led off with a double, came around to score on a dropped third strike that freed her up to run home. Elizabeth Sloppy ripped an RBI single to give Capital a 2-0 start.
Raylie Birklid put the Hawks on the board thanks to an RBI single in the first, and River Ridge tied the game on a sloppy error by Capital as Emma Liljenberg walked, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and came around to score as catcher McKeone sailed her throw back to Dura, with the ball ending up in left field.
The wild play started a five-run third inning for River Ridge, and the Hawks added three more in the fourth and five in the fifth. Four Hawks — Jacklyn Holcomb, Birklid, Kaylani Karageorge and Eva Lynch — registered two hits, while Karageorge and Holcomb each drove in three.
Jaylah Sok-Vandergriff struck out eight batters over five innings in the circle, allowing four unearned runs on seven hits.
McKeone stayed hot at the plate for the Cougars, finishing 3 for 3 with two doubles and an RBI.
River Ridge (6-8, 6-6 Puget Sound League) will visit Peninsula (15-2, 12-1 PSL) Monday, May 4. Capital (2-11, 2-9 PSL) will host North Thurston (8-6, 5-5 PSL) Thursday for the first of two games in the next five days against the Rams.
