A resurgent season for the River Ridge baseball team came to an end Monday as the Hawks fell to Silas 13-8 in the regular season finale.
River Ridge needed a win over Silas and a loss by Capital against Bellarmine to secure a spot in Wednesday’s Puget Sound League tiebreaker, a district play-in game. The Hawks finished with a 10-10 record and a 6-10 mark in the PSL. Ten wins is the most for the program since 2019.
Jalon Fulton, in his final game of his prep career, started the game with a bang, cranking a powerful home run to center field in the bottom of the first inning. But River Ridge’s lead would not last long, as Silas poured in seven runs in the second, ignited by a grand slam by Colton Weis and a two-run single by Cade Owen.
After Cole Von Rueden drove in River Ridge’s second run of the game on a single in the second, Silas opened up a 10-run lead with five runs in the third. The Hawks continued to fight to keep their season alive, as D’Vaughntae Sellman delivered a two-run home run to left field in the third.
Aaron Leu and Bono Larkin each drove in a run in the fourth to make it a six-run game, but the Hawks could never draw closer than five runs.
River Ridge graduates seven seniors: Conner Kramer, Josh Middleton, Bono Larkin, Donald Pringle, Kaiee Kopp, Aaron Leu, and Jalon Fulton.
“I am proud of how we didn’t give up today or at any time this year. This senior class means so much to me having spent four years together and starting with them,” River Ridge fourth-year head coach Ben Rood said. “Didn’t end how we wanted, but it was so much fun getting to be a part of it and coaching these guys.”
