“It feels good, I think we are on a really good streak right now,” RTR’s Grace DeVries said. “I think it’s just that when we get hype and when we get together, we play so well.”

DeVries had a big hitting night, going 3 for 4 at the plate with a team-high three RBIs. Her and Payton Johansen each had a double as well.

“Realistically, we played the last four or five games really decently,” RRC/WWG head coach Derek Stevenson said. “We started off playing pretty decent the first couple innings, three innings, and we kind of always have a bad inning. We just got to figure out when it’s going to be, and unfortunately, it happened twice.”

Fricke allowed just one hit on the night, while RTR finished with nine hits. Both teams had one error.

Photo by Samantha Davis: Russell-Tyler-Ruthton's Grace DeVries connects for a hit against Red Rock Central/Westbrook-Walnut Grove Friday night in Russell.

For the Falcons, Carlie Ross also pitched a complete game and tossed five strikeouts, allowing seven walks.

“She [Ross] didn’t do too bad, she was kind of hitting her spots,” Stevenson said. “She’s also hurt from basketball, so she’s been struggling all year with injuries in her hips, and that’s not great when you’re a pitcher.”

Following a scoreless first two innings where both teams were able to quickly complete their defensive outs, hitting became contagious for the Knights in the bottom of the third inning to take a 5-0 lead.

“I think if we keep hitting like we are doing, Jaida keeps pitching like she is doing, and she is doing great, [we can keep the momentum going],” DeVries said, who again complimented Fricke for her pitching performance.

Joee Thooft was the first to reach home following an RBI single from DeVries on a line drive to left field. Joee Thooft was pinch running for Fricke, who reached base on a hard ground ball up to left field.

Photo by Samantha Davis: Red Rock Central/Westbrook-Walnut Grove's Natasha Wahl runs to field a ball against Russell-Tyler-Ruthton Friday night in Russell.

Taylin Thooft got in on the action and sent both Laken Baartman and DeVries home on a line-drive single to right field, while Johansen did the same in the Knights’ next at-bat, hitting a two-run RBI double that allowed Kynsi VanderPlaats and Taylin Thooft to score.

Ross got the final out to halt RTR’s rally with a strikeout.

Yet, the Knights promptly put themselves back at the plate in the bottom of the fourth to continue their momentum after a pair of ground-outs and another Fricke strikeout on defense.

Paisley Thooft got on first with a single, and ran home on a DeVries’ hard line-drive double to center field. Teagan Schrunk stepped in to courtesy run for DeVries.

The hits kept coming and the Knights kept running the bases to build their lead to 8-0 following a VanderPlaats two-run RBI single off a line drive to right field. Both Schrunk and Baartman scored, as Baartman was intentionally walked.

Photo by Samantha Davis: Russell-Tyler-Ruthton's Laken Baartmen celebrates after reaching third base against Red Rock Central/Westbrook-Walnut Grove Friday night in Russell.

RRC/WWG intentionally walked Baartman three times throughout the game, and she led the team with three runs.

The Falcons had a defensive highlight in the bottom of the fourth, with catcher Hadley Jenniges throwing down to Natasha Wahl at second base for a successful tag-out with RTR attempting to steal.

“She [Jenniges] is tough back there [behind the plate],” Stevenson said. “I think she’s still a little injured from basketball season, so it’s still kind of carrying over. But, hopefully as time goes on this spring, she’ll heal up a little bit better.”

The Knights ended the night in the sixth inning with two more runs, coming with another DeVries’ RBI single to score Paisley Thooft, and Baartman scoring on a wild pitch.

“That felt good, especially with my team hyping me up in the dug out. That was fun,” DeVries said of her hitting night. “I was just waiting for the perfect one. I saw an inside one, I was like, ‘Nope, I don’t want that, I’m waiting for the perfect one.’ When I got that last pitch, I thought that was gone.”

Photo by Samantha Davis: Red Rock Central/Westbrook-Walnut Grove's DeAnn Roiger catches an infield fly against Russell-Tyler-Ruthton Friday night in Russell.

VanderPlaats, Taylin Thooft and Johansen each had a pair of RBIs in the win as well.

Russell-Tyler-Ruthton (3-4) will travel to Mountain Lake Area/Comfrey for a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m., and will head over to Lakeview on Monday with a 4:30 p.m. first pitch.

RRC/WWG (2-7) will also remain on the road and travel over to Sprinfield on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.

BOX SCORE

RTR HITTING

Photo by Samantha Davis: Red Rock Central/Westbrook-Walnut Grove's Carlie Ross throws a pitch against Russell-Tyler-Ruthton Friday night in Russell.

P. Thooft: 1-2, 2R, 2BB; J. Fricke: 1-4; L. Baartment: 1-1, 3R, 3BB; G. DeVries: 3-4, 3RBI, R; K. VanderPlaats: 1-2, R, 2RBI, BB; T. Thooft: 1-2, R, 2RBI, BB; P. Johansen: 1-3, 2RBI.

RTR PITCHING

J. Fricke: 6 IP, 9 SO, H.

RRC/WWG HITTING

L. Carter: 1-2.

RRC/WWG PITCHING

C. Ross: 5.1 IP, 5 SO, 9H, 10ER, 7BB.

Photo by Samantha Davis: Russell-Tyler-Ruthton's Morgan Appel catches the ball for an out at first base against Red Rock Central/Westbrook-Walnut Grove Friday night in Russell.