AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The Red Hawk softball team continued the week-long Spring Games on Tuesday afternoon, falling in a pitcher's duel against Nicholls College before bouncing back with a 7-5 win over Oswego State. The doubleheader split is Ripon's second in as many days, and the Red Hawks are now 4-2 for the week.
Ripon struck first in the bottom of the opening frame, as an infield groundout was enough to plate
Brennah Bronk from third. The Bison pulled even with a successful double steal two innings later, and a ground rule double in the top of the seventh was enough for Nicholls to hang on.
Bronk,
Abby Gilbertson and
Mara Millard each came away with hits for the Red Hawks, while Bauer was credited with the lone RBI.
Kalen Berger took loss despite tossing the complete game and picking up four strikeouts along the way.
The nightcap proved to be much more fruitful for the Red Hawks, as they again got on the board in the first inning but continued to pile on throughout the game. A single off the bat of Gilberstson plated the first run of the game, and
Lexzie Hassemer launched her first home run of the year in the second inning to push the lead to 2-0.
Oswego State answered with a pair of runs in the home second, but the Ripon offense stayed in rhythm.
Sydney Swanson picked up an RBI single in the third, and Gilbertson came through again in the fourth with her second RBI hit of the game to make it a 4-2 game at the halfway point.
The Lakers scored on a passed ball in the home fourth, but the Red Hawks again went right back to work on extending their lead. An RBI groundout in the fifth and a pair of sixth-inning singles helped the Ripon lead swell to 7-3, and even after a threat in the sixth, Ripon was able to hang on for their fourth win in three days.
Bronk picked up her second win of the year while turning in Ripon's second complete game of the day, while Lawrence added three hits at the dish to continue her hot streak and total eight for the afternoon. Hassemer became the fifth Red Hawk with a long ball this spring, and the Ripon offense has now totaled 28 extra base hits through the first ten games of the season.
The Red Hawks are off on Wednesday before returning to action on Thursday with another doubleheader. First pitch against Benedectine is slated for 2:00 p.m. EST, with a 4:30 tilt against Lasell set to follow.
