Box Score vs. Bethel (Minn.)
Box Score vs. Northwestern (Minn.)
CLERMONT, Fla. - The Ripon softball team continued their trend of splitting two games, doing so for the third consecutive day Tuesday. The Red Hawks lost their first game of the day to Bethel (Minn.) University, 6-2, but salvaged their day with a 6-1 victory over Northwestern (Minn.) College.
Things were looking good for the Red Hawks early in the first game, as they took a 2-1 lead with a pair of runs in the top of the third. The inning was led off by a walk to Courtney Bloomer, who would later score to tie the game on an RBI single from Stephanie Rieuwpassa. She later gave Ripon the lead when she scored from third on a double steal.
The Red Hawks still led the game entering the bottom of the sixth, but that would quickly change, as Bethel plated five runs in the inning. Two runs came on a bases loaded single, while two more scored on a double to left and the other crossed the plate on an RBI single.
Rieuwpassa (2-1) suffered her first loss of the season, despite giving up just two earned runs and striking out six batters in six innings. Karli Persson also pitched a complete game for Northwestern, allowing two earned runs and striking out three.
Ripon’s second game of the day also saw them fall behind by one run, as Northwestern scored on a groundout in the top of the third. The Red Hawks answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning. They scored two runs on RBI singles from Korrine Peterson and Cassie Bilotto, while the other two came on a bases loaded throwing error by Northwestern.
Rieuwpassa added to that lead later in the game with RBI singles in the fourth and sixth innings. She finished the game 3-for-3 at the plate, while Ashley Gnacinski added two more hits, including the team’s first triple of the season.
As impressive as Gnacinski was at the plate, she was even more so in the field, pitching a complete game two-hitter, while allowing just two hits and striking out four.
The Red Hawks will now have Wednesday off, before taking the field Thursday against Keene State (N.H.) and Farmingdale State (N.Y.). Those games will begin at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. ET, respectively, in Clermont, Fla.
