Box Score vs. Cornell College
Box Score vs. Knox College

EAST PEORIA, Ill. - The second day of the Midwest Conference Classic got off to a rough start for the Ripon College softball team, as they lost to the defending MWC champions Cornell College 8-0 in five innings. They ended the day on a high note however, defeating Knox College 3-2 in a game that saw Ashley Parkkonen record a career-high nine strikeouts for her first collegiate victory.

Against Cornell, Ripon's only hit came in the first at-bat of the game, as Korrine Peterson singled to the pitcher before 15 of the final 16 Ripon batters were retired. Cornell's Jesse Applehans also struck out five batters in her complete game shutout, while walking one. The Ram's eight runs all came in three innings, as they scored three in the second, two in the fourth and three more in the fifth.

Ripon's fortunes were reversed in the second game, as they never trailed against Knox. The Red Hawks (7-17, 4-4 MWC) broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the third when Anna Kasper scored on one of three Knox errors in the inning. Ripon scored again in the fourth on an RBI fielder's choice by Kasper and once more in the fifth when Stephanie Cartwright singled home Peterson for a 3-0 lead.

Knox (2-22, 0-6 MWC) made things interesting late in the game, scoring both of their runs in the top of the sixth, which saw them record half of their six hits. The Prairie Fire would get a runner on second with two out in the top of the seventh, but could not get her home, giving Ripon a split for the second consecutive day.

The Red Hawks' five hits came from five different people. Parkkonen (1-6) finished off her complete game by allowing two earned runs on six hits.

Ripon is scheduled to conclude its MWC Classic schedule on Sunday against Monmouth and Grinnell at Noon and 2 p.m., respectively. Those games will again be played at Eastside Center in East Peoria, Ill.