Box Score vs. Benedictine
Box Score vs. UW-Stevens Point

CLERMONT, Fla. - Ripon's softball team opened their 2014 season Sunday morning with losses to Benedictine (Ill.) and UW-Stevens Point, respectively. The Red Hawks dropped the first game 16-2, before losing the second 9-1, both of which went five innings.

Against Benedictine (2-1), the Eagles jumped on Ripon (0-2) early with five runs in the top of the first frame, despite recording just two hits. They added three runs in the second inning and blew the game wide open with seven in the third, all of which were unearned.

Ripon finally got on the board in the third, which was led off with a single by Korrine Peterson. After Peterson stole second, Jordan Hester drove her in with a double to right field. Three batters later, freshman Stephanie Cartwright singled up the middle to score Hester, but the damage had already been done.

Each of Ripon's first five hitters in the lineup recorded at least one hit, led by two from Peterson out of the leadoff spot. Benedictine's 16 runs came on 10 hits, as the Red Hawks walked eight Benedictine batters.

Against UW-Stevens Point (5-5) in the day's second game, Ripon showed some perseverance, scoring a run in the top of the first on an RBI single by Cassie Bilotto. That hit scored Ashley Gnacinski, who doubled to left center one batter earlier.

That would be all the runs the Red Hawks could muster, as the game turned into a pitcher's duel for the first several innings. Stevens Point tied the game in the bottom of the first and took the lead with another run in the third. The Pointers then exploded with six runs in the fourth inning, four of which were unearned, to break the game open.

Bilotto led the Red Hawks with two of the team's five hits. Freshman Ashley Parkkonen (0-1) suffered the loss, allowing four earned runs in 3.2 innings of work. The Pointers' nine runs came on eight hits.

Ripon will try to put their first two games behind them, as they'll be in action again on Monday against UW-Stout and Trinity (Conn.). Those games are scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. ET, respectively.