Last season’s grand finalists opened the scoring with a three-run first and produced regular offence to back strong pitching in a shutout win.
Jo Stevens went 4-for-5 with two RBIs and Harry Mahoney also drove in two runs for the Hawks.
Starter Grant Piccoli went four scoreless innings, striking out eight and giving up just two hits.
National team pitchers Todd van Steensel and Luke Wilkins also worked scoreless innings either side of Kyle Cross and Luke Livian combining to record three outs in the sixth.
All up Ryde recorded 14 strikeouts with van Steensel punching out three of five batters he faced, Cross both players he retired and Wilkins one to complement Piccoli’s strong outing.
The Hawks opened the scoring on a bases-loaded walk in the top of the first and went 3-0 up on a two-run single from Mahoney.
Nick Dimmers singled to capitalise on a lead-off knock from Stevens to make it 4-0 in the third.
Ryde scored three more on a wild pitch and pair of errors in the fourth.
Stevens added two runs with a two-out single in the fifth before another wild pitch put the Hawks up 10-0.
The Warriors managed just three hits against strong pitching in their NSW State League debut.
James Sammes singled in the second while Ray Tozer and Lachlan McCarthy (double) also collected hits.
Stevens was the standout but Travis Bazzana and Daniel Lee both had two hits for Ryde.
The Hawks’ next game is against Cronulla at ELS Hall Park on October 14.
Greater Western faces Baulkham Hills at Blacktown next Wednesday.
Central Coast welcomes Macarthur, Cronulla host Canterbury Bankstown at Bonnet Bay and Blacktown travels to Aquatic Reserve to take on Manly in next Wednesday’s other matchups.
Click here for upcoming schedule.
From baseball.com.au.
