With each team limited to just one hit, visiting River Ridge was sent home with a 1-0 loss by the defending state champions from Belmont in Six Rivers conference softball action last Tuesday evening.

While River Ridge’s only hit of the game was a lead-off single by junior Abby Doyle to start the fourth inning, Belmont’s lone hit was a solo homerun by Claire Runde in the bottom of the second.

In a classic pitchers dual between River Ridge’s Erin Adrian and Belmont’s Carsyn Ramacher, the two combined to strike out 16 batters, while Adrian faced 22 batters and Ramacher 25.

In six innings of work, Adrian gave up one earned run off one hit, while striking out eight batters and walking three.

Ramacher gave up one hit in a seven-inning shutout, while striking out eight River Ridge batters and walking four.

On the following Thursday night, coach Wade Winkers and his Timberwolves got back to their winning ways, downing host Benton/Shullsburg, 15-0, in a shortened five-inning contest.

The Timberwolves started things off with a bang, scoring all 15 of their runs in the top of the first inning.

Finishing the contest with 11 hits, the Timberwolves were led at the plate by Abby Doyle and Ellaina Gage, who both went 3-for-4 and scored two runs each. Doyle also had two RBIs with a double and Gage one RBI with a double.

Other players with two RBIs on the night included Josey Drone, who had a double, Keele Redman and Layla Gage. Danica Hampton and Reese Moravits each had one RBI in the victory.

In five innings of work, Adrian struck out eight batters and walked one, while giving up just two hits in collecting the shutout victory.

In non-conference action the following Friday night, River Ridge traveled to De Soto, where they dropped a 13-3 loss on the host Pirates in a shortened five-inning contest.

The Timberwolves pounded out 13 hits in the victory, getting three from Abby Doyle and two each from Ellaina Gage, Erin Adrian, Maycee Brinkman and Layla Gage.

Doyle, Adrian and Meghyn Breuer led the team with two RBIs each, as Drone, Redman, Brinkman and Layla Gage each had one.

Adrian, who pitched the first three innings, picked up the victory in the pitching circle, where she allowed no earned runs off one hit, while striking out six batters and walking none.

Doyle pitched the last two innings, giving up three earned runs off six hits, while striking out four batters and walking none.

Following this past Monday night’s game at Highland and Tuesday night’s home game against Juda/Albany, the Timberwolves (5-4, 10-4) will travel to Juda/Albany Thursday night.