RIPON, Wisconsin – The Ripon softball program rallied from a 3-0 deficit in game one to walk off Grinnell, 6-5, on Saturday at Tracy Field, though the Red Hawks' postseason hopes were dashed with a 10-6 defeat in game two.
 
Ripon (12-24, 7-9 MWC) fell behind 3-0 to Grinnell (12-28, 9-7 MWC) in the second inning of game one as the Pioneers plated three runs. However, Ripon got a run back in the bottom of the second on a successful sacrifice bunt by Kayla Cruz.
 
Ripon pulled in front in the third, scoring three times. Ashlyn Schultz doubled home Maddie Heisler and Nadiyah Huizar before Alayna Sadowska singled home Schultz with two outs. The Red Hawks extended their lead in the fourth on a Heisler RBI single.
 
Down to its last two outs, Grinnell scored twice in the top of the seventh. The Pioneers had runners at second and third with two outs, but Sadowska struck out the final batter of the inning.
 
Ripon's first two runners reached in the seventh, but a double play put one runner at third with two outs. With two strikes, Heisler scampered home on a wild pitch to give Ripon the important win.
 
Heisler (2x4, RBI, 2 runs) and Sadowska (2x3, RBI) accounted for half of Ripon's hits. Sadowska pitched a complete game in the circle and got the win. She allowed six hits and five earned runs, striking out five.
 
Grinnell jumped on Ripon early in game two, scoring once in the first, once in the second and six in the third to take an 8-0 lead. Ripon answered in the bottom half of the third, as Karissa Jenz singled and an error plated her, Heisler and Sydney Swanson. The Red Hawks had two runners on in the inning, but a flyout ended the threat.
 
Grinnell scored single runs in the fourth and fifth, but Ripon cut its deficit to 10-5 in the fifth on an error and a Sadowska RBI single. Sadowska brought home another run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly, but Ripon was thrown out on the bases to end the game.
 
Schultz led Ripon offensively, going 2-for-4. Jenz (1x4, RBI, run), Hablewitz (1x3, run), Brooklyn Cooper (1x2), Ashlynn Donahue (1x1, walk), Hadley Berendsen (1x2) and Sadowska (1x2, 2 RBI, walk) also had base hits.
 
Cooper got the start and the loss in the circle. She pitched four innings, surrendering 12 hits and seven earned runs.
 
NEXT UP: Ripon hosts Mount Mary for a doubleheader on Tuesday, May 6 beginning at 3 p.m.
 
FOLLOW: Follow Ripon College Red Hawks Athletics on Facebook and @RiponRedHawks on Twitter for immediate updates, results and more. Go to riponredhawks.com for all information, releases and schedules.