CLERMONT, Fla. - Ripon's softball team split a pair of games Sunday on the first day of their week-long trip to The Spring Games. The Red Hawks lost the first game of the day 7-1 to Bates College, before winning 5-0 against Lancaster Bible in a game that saw freshman Lilli Smith (1-1) twirl a complete game shutout, while allowing just two hits.

In the day's first game, it all boiled down to one inning, as Bates (9-2) plated five runs in the fourth. After Bates took the lead on a first-inning RBI single from Payton Buxton, Ripon (3-5) tied the score thanks to a two-out RBI single by Isabella Osborn in the top of the third, scoring Micaela Encarnacion from third base.

The score would remain tied until the bottom of the fourth, which saw Bates score five runs on just two hits, with the big blow coming on a bases-loaded double by Buxton, which scored three runs. Buxton added another RBI on a groundout in the sixth frame to cap the scoring.

Ripon out-hit Bates 7-6 in the contest, with Osborn and Kayley Grabowski each recording two base knocks. Lexi Reetz (2-2) suffered the loss, despite allowing just six hits and striking out eight in 5.1 innings.

Buxton paced Bates by driving in five of the team's seven runs, also finishing with two hits. Kirsten Pelletier (5-1) pitched a complete game, allowing one earned run on seven hits and striking out five.

In Ripon's second game of the day, the Red Hawks jumped on the scoreboard first when Encarnacion scored on a wild pitch with two outs in the bottom of the opening inning. Ripon doubled that lead with a run in the third on an RBI single by Tene Robinson, scoring Encarnacion from third.

The Red Hawks took a 3-0 lead in the fifth inning, which was led off by a triple off the bat of Encarnacion, who would later score on a sac fly by Robinson. Two more runs crossed the plate in the sixth, both unearned, to cap the scoring, as Casey O'Malley scored on an error and Camryn Hamilton came home on a wild pitch.

Encarnacion recorded half of Ripon's hits in the game, going 3-for-4 at the plate, while scoring three times. Robinson registered both of the team's RBI.

The Red Hawks will be in action again on Monday, as they'll battle the University of Scranton and Delaware Valley at 9 and 11:30 a.m. Central Time in Clermont, Fla. Both games will have LiveStats available at https://portal.stretchinternet.com/ripon/, with video available on Pay-Per-View on a Pay-Per-View basis.