BARTOW, Fla. -- The Ripon College softball team split a pair of games on Tuesday after weather delays forced a relocation to Bartow, Florida. The Red Hawks dropped the opener to Manchester before bouncing back with a dominant win over Franklin & Marshall.
Game 1: Manchester 10, Ripon 1
Manchester jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, scoring four runs in the first inning and adding to its advantage in the second and third.
Ripon broke through in the third inning when freshman Carli Moldenhauer (Oconomowoc, Wis., Oconomowoc HS) singled and later scored on an RBI groundout by freshman Cyriana Reinwald (Horicon, Wis., Horicon HS) to make it 10-1.
Moldenhauer led the Red Hawks offensively with two of the team's three hits, while sophomore Hannah Vargas (Tustin, Calif., Foothill HS) added a hit. Ripon worked several baserunners with three walks but was unable to string together a bigger inning.
In the circle, sophomore Alayna Sadowska (Oshkosh, Wis., Oshkosh West HS) got the start before freshman Kasey Moldrem (Horicon, Wis., Horicon HS) provided relief, combining for seven strikeouts. Despite the effort, defensive miscues allowed Manchester to extend innings and build its lead.
Game 2: Ripon 9, Franklin & Marshall 0
Ripon responded in a big way in the nightcap, using a balanced offensive attack and dominant pitching to secure a 9-0 shutout victory.
The Red Hawks struck first in the opening inning and continued to build momentum, scoring two runs in the second and third innings before adding three more in the fourth to take control.
Sophomore Maddie Heisler (Appleton, Wis., Appleton East HS) highlighted the offense with a triple, two runs scored, and an RBI, while sophomore Ashlyn Schultz (Denmark, Wis., Denmark HS) turned in a strong performance with three hits, including a double, and a run driven in. Reinwald and junior Nadiyah Huizar (Buena Park, Calif., Buena Park HS) each added extra-base hits, and senior Jayden Markus (Sorento, Ill., Greenville HS) drove in two runs as Ripon totaled 10 hits.
Freshman Peyton Vandeloo (Kaukauna, Wis., Freedom HS) was dominant in the circle, tossing a complete-game shutout while allowing just three hits and striking out 10.
Ripon is off Wednesday and will return to action Thursday to continue its spring break trip.