CLERMONT, Florida – The Ripon softball program picked up its first win of 2025 on Saturday, defeating Nazareth 8-5 before falling 5-0 to Juniata at Hancock Field.
 
With the win against Nazareth, head coach Emilia Jackson picked up her first collegiate victory as a head coach.
 
Ripon (1-3) found itself in an early hole against Nazareth (0-1), as the Eagles put up a five-spot in the first inning – all before the Red Hawks recorded an out. The score remained that way until the fourth, when Ripon went in front with a seven-run inning. With the bases loaded and one out, Nadiyah Huizar singled home Kayla Cruz to put Ripon on the board. Then, Ashlyn Schultz scored a pair with another single as the Red Hawks kept the pressure on. After a wild pitch, Madelyn Heisler gave Ripon its first lead of the season with a three-run homer. Karissa Jenz kept the train rolling with a double on the next at-bat before Arianna Alirez singled her home, opening up a 7-5 lead in the fourth. In total, Ripon scored seven runs on seven hits in the inning.
 
Schultz doubled home Emily Kasuboski in the fifth, extending the Red Hawks' advantage. Nazareth put runners on base in both the sixth and seventh innings, but Alayna Sadowska and Brooklyn Cooper shut the opposition down to give Ripon the win.
 
Huizar had a perfect day at the plate, going 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Cruz and Sadowska each were 2-for-4 with a run scored, while Schultz also had a multi-hit game (2x4, 3 RBI, run). In total, Ripon pounded out 13 hits with four extra-base hits in the game.
 
Sadowski pitched six innings as the starter, earning the win on the mound. She surrendered seven hits and five earned runs, striking out four. Cooper got the save, tossing an inning in relief while giving up one hit.
 
In game two against Juniata (4-6), Ripon only mustered four hits as a team. The Red Hawks threatened in the opening inning – putting two runners on with two outs – but a strikeout ended the inning.
 
The sides were deadlocked at zero until the bottom of the third, when the Eagles put up five runs on a two-run single, an RBI single, a sacrifice fly and another RBI single. The Red Hawks recorded hits in the fifth and sixth innings – and put two runners on base in the sixth – but were unable to muster any runs.
 
Alirez, Jenz, Schultz and Kasuboski recorded singles for Ripon. In the circle, Sadowska took the loss. She went three innings, allowing two hits and three earned runs. Ashlynn Donahue pitched three innings in relief, allowing four hits and two earned runs.
 
NEXT UP: Ripon plays twice more on Sunday, facing off against Endicott (12:30 p.m. CT) and MSOE (3:15 p.m. CT).
 
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