RHINELANDER, Wis. - Ripon's softball team played four close games over the weekend, winning one of the four despite holding a lead in each contest. After losing the first three games of the weekend, the Red Hawks ended on a positive note with a win in their final game. Marian (Wis.) topped the Red Hawks with a sweep in two games on Saturday, winning 5-1 and 5-4, before Ripon's split against Northland on Sunday.

Against Marian (4-2), the Red Hawks jumped out to an early lead with a run in the top of the first on an RBI by Addison Lindsey, which scored Micaela Encarnacion from third base. Marian would tie the score in the bottom of that frame, before adding three more runs in the second to take a lead that they would never relinquish.

Brennah Bronk led Ripon with a 2-for-4 performance at the plate, while pitchers Claire Luebke and Lilli Smith combined to allow just three earned runs in the game.

In game two against Marian, Ripon again took a lead in the first when Bronk drove in Encarnacion with a single. Marian tied things up in the second with an RBI single of their own, before grabbing the lead with a run in the third. Ripon tied the score again in the fifth on an RBI single by Riley Breider, which scored Encarnacion once more.

The Sabres then scored three runs in the sixth to take a 5-2 lead. Ripon added two more in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI double by Luebke and a run-scoring groundout by Lindsey, but the Red Hawks would leave the potential tying run on third base as the game ended.

Ripon finished with 10 hits, with three coming from Bronk and two apiece coming from Encarnacion and Breider.

The following day, Ripon was back in Rhinelander once more to battle Northland (3-3) in a doubleheader. The Red Hawks again jumped out to an early lead, getting on the board first in the second inning when Lilli Smith drew a bases loaded walk to score Luebke from third. Northland then took their first lead in the bottom of that inning on a two-run single. 

Luebke added an RBI single in the fifth, but it was too little, too late, as two more Northland runs in the fifth capped the scoring in the 5-2 LumberJills victory. Ripon recorded seven hits, with two apiece coming from Luebke and Cortney Bols.

That game was followed by the nightcap of the doubleheader, which never saw Ripon trail. The Red Hawks plated two runs in the bottom of the first, scoring on an error and a sac fly by Kayley Grabowski. After Northland cut that lead in half with a sac fly of their own in the third, the LumberJills tied the score on an RBI double in the top of the fourth. That lead was short-lived, as Ripon took the lead for good in the bottom of that inning on an RBI double by Brennah Bronk, scoring Encarnacion from third.

Ripon (1-11) finished with six hits, led by Encarnacion and Abby Gilbertson, who recorded two apiece, including a triple and double, respectively. With five career triples, including two already in this young season, Encarnacion now has five in her career, which is tied for sixth in program history. Alyssa Banta (1-3) picked up her first career win, allowing just one earned run on eight hits in a complete game.

The Red Hawks will now have a bit of a hiatus, as they won't take the field again until March 27 when they'll play a non-conference doubleheader at Beloit College. That twinbill will begin at 1 p.m. in Beloit, Wis.