GALESBURG, Ill. - Ripon's softball team earned a pair of come-from-behind wins Sunday, sweeping Knox to win for the sixth time in their last seven games. The Red Hawks won the first game 9-5 behind a seven-run seventh inning, before winning the nightcap by a score of 9-8. The wins give Ripon their most wins in a single season (14) since the 2012 season with at least six games still to play. They also have already matched their conference win total (8) from a year ago.

In the day's first game, Ripon (14-16, 8-4 MWC) jumped on the board early when Isabella Osborn singled with two outs in the top of the first to score Micaela Encarnacion from second base. The Red Hawks doubled that lead in the third when Encarnacion scored again, this time on a Tene Robinson single. 

Knox (5-21, 1-11 MWC) got on the board in the fourth, scoring four runs on two hits, and being helped by two Ripon errors. Knox added another run on a sac fly in the fifth to take a 5-2 lead, which is where the score would stay until the seventh.

In that final inning, the first five Ripon batters reached base, while seven batters recorded a hit in the inning. Kayley Grabowski and Encarnacion each recorded an RBI single to pull Ripon within one before Reetz tied the game at five with a sac fly. The Red Hawks then took the lead on an RBI single by Julia Sanchez, while also adding runs on a wild pitch, a fielder's choice, and an RBI single by Brooke Bauer.

Ripon finished with 10 hits, with Encarnacion and Robinson each recording two. Encarnacion also scored three times and drove in one run. Lilli Smith (3-2) picked up the win, pitching 1.2 innings of scoreless ball, allowing just one hit and striking out one batter.

The day's second game was just as thrilling, with Ripon again opening the scoring with a run in the top of the first, which saw Encarnacion score on a double by Osborn. Knox tied things up with a run in the bottom of that inning, before Ripon opened things up with a five-spot in the third. They grabbed the lead back on an RBI double by Encarnacion, who would later score on a single by Robinson. They also scored on on error, and on RBI from Sanchez and Reetz.

Knox added another run in the bottom of the third, but Ripon got that run back in the fourth on an RBI triple by Encarnacion. Knox than scored five runs in the bottom of the fourth to tie the score at seven, before taking the lead on a bases loaded hit-by-pitch in the fifth. That lead lasted one inning, until Ripon plated two runs in the sixth, scoring on an error to tie the game and on an RBI single by Osborn to take the lead for good.

Ripon finished with 12 hits, with three apiece coming from Encarnacion and Osborn. Sanchez and Teara Morgenroth each added two base knocks. Reetz (11-7) earned the win, pitching 2.1 scoreless innings of relief, allowing just one hit, while striking out two batters. Reetz's 11 wins this season moves her into a tie for seventh place in school history for a single season, and gives her 23 wins for her career, which is tied for sixth in program history. Reetz also has 99 strikeouts this year, which ranks ninth in school history, leaving her just one strikeout shy of becoming just the third player in program history to record at least 100 strikeouts in three different seasons.

With a 5-for-6 performance at the playte in today's doubleheader, Encarnacion has 45 hits this season, which is tied for fourth in program history. She's batting .450 on the year, which would rank fifth in school history. She also already ranks in the top 10 in single season doubles, triples, and runs scored.

Sunday's wins also move Ripon into fourth place in the MWC standings, putting them smack dab in the middle of the race for a spot in the 2018 MWC Tournament. The Red Hawks will be in action again Wednesday in a very important doubleheader, as they'll host Monmouth College at 3 p.m. That twinbill will be played at Tracy Field in Ripon and can be seen live at https://portal.stretchinternet.com/ripon/.