CLERMONT, Fla. - Ripon's softball team ended their 10-game spring trip in style Friday afternoon, defeating University of New England 9-4 in their final game of the trip.

After losing to North Park University 13-1 in their first game of the day, the Red Hawks redeemed themselves with their most dominating performance of the season against New England. Ripon wasted no time getting on the board, scoring four runs on three hits in the top of the first inning. Andrea Mihaljevich ad Claire Luebke each produced RBI singles in that inning, while Mihaljevich ad Mikaela Lawrence each scored on an error. 

After New England cut that lead to one with a three-run fourth inning, Ripon extended their lead with a run in the fifth on an RBI single off the bat of Brennah Bronk. The Red Hawks would add three more insurance runs in the sixth, powered by Micaela Encarnacion's fifth career home run. Mihaljevich and Lawrence would each record an RBI single later in that inning. Encarnacion capped the Red Hawks' scoring in the seventh, driving in a run with her 30th career double, which is the third-most in program history.

Ripon finished the contest with 12 hits, with Encarnacion, Mihaljevich, and Bronk recording two apiece. Savanna Trittelwitz recorded her second win of the spring trip, allowing four runs and striking out three batters without issuing a walk in the complete game.

The Red Hawks will now return home where they will play their 2022 home opener Saturday against Northland College on Saturday. That doubleheader will begin at Noon at Tracy Field in Ripon, and can be seen live at https://portal.stretchinternet.com/ripon/.