CLERMONT, Florida –
Samantha Nicholson of the Ripon softball program delivered the go-ahead, RBI single in the top of the seventh as Ripon erased a 5-2, sixth inning to earn an 8-5 win over Northwestern (Minn.) in the Red Hawks' second game of the day at the Legends Way ballfields.
In Tuesday's opener, Ripon fell to North Park 7-2.
Trailing 5-2 in the top of the sixth against Northwestern (5-7), Ripon (1-7) mounted a furious comeback that largely started with two outs –
Savannah Barajas singled, Nicholson walked and
Mikaela Lawrence was hit by a pitch to load the bases. After an Eagles' pitching change,
Anna Bauer drove home a pair with a single, trimming Ripon's deficit to 5-4.
Down to their last three outs, the Red Hawks got busy early in the seventh.
Kayla Cruz opened the inning with a double, while
Hadley Berendsen took her spot at second and promptly stole third.
MariaFernanda Lerma then delivered the game-tying single on the next at bat, continuing momentum with nobody out.
After a strikeout, Nicholson came through in the clutch. The freshman singled to center, scoring Lerma, and giving Ripon its first lead since the first inning. The spurt wasn't over, however – Lawrence reached on a fielder's choice on the next at-bat, scoring
Maddie Hablewitz, and Nicholson scored moments later on a wild play that involved another UNW error.
Ripon struck first in the opening frame. Lawrence walked, stole second, advanced to third on a flyout and then scored on a
Nadiyah Huizar RBI groundout. However, UNW countered, putting up three in the bottom of the first on a two-run RBI single and a sacrifice fly.
In the top of the third, Ripon cut its deficit in half on a two-out, RBI single by Cruz. Northwestern later added to its lead in the bottom of the fifth on a pair of two-out, RBI singles.
Kalen Berger, in picking up her first victory of the season, slammed the door in the bottom of the seventh to give Ripon the win. Berger pitched a complete game, giving up eight hits and five earned runs while striking out two.
Offensively, Cruz was the top performer for Ripon, going 3-for-4 with an RBI, while Barajas (2-for-4, run) and Bauer (2-for-4, 2 RBI) also had multi-hit outings.
In the opening game against North Park (2-2), the Red Hawks once again started strong. Lawrence started the game with a single and a stolen base, and after an error and a hit by pitch,
Hannah Vargas walked in a run with the bases loaded. The next at-bat, Hablewitz ripped an RBI single to score
Daniella Orozco and Ripon went up 2-0 after the first inning.
Unfortunately, the bats went quiet from there, though it wasn't for a lack of opportunities. Ripon left the bases loaded in the second, ran into an out at third base in the fourth and had runners on base in every inning except the seventh as Eden Baker held Ripon scoreless the rest of the game.
The Vikings tied the game in the top of the third with a sacrifice fly and an RBI single and took the lead in the fourth on the strength of a leadoff RBI triple. Four runs in the top of the fifth put the game away in favor of North Park.
Lawrence and Orozco each went 2-for-4 with a run scored to lead Ripon offensively, while Bauer, Vargas, Hablewitz and Berendsen also recorded hits.
Kenzie Pahang took the loss on the mound, pitching all seven innings while allowing nine hits and seven earned runs.
NEXT UP: Ripon enjoys its off day on Wednesday before facing Pitt-Greensburg and Albertus Magnus on Thursday (March 14) at 10:30 a.m. CT and 12:45 p.m. CT, respectively, from Kissimmee.
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