PLATTEVILLE, Wis. -- The Ripon College softball team put together two strong games Saturday, sweeping a doubleheader at UW-Platteville with wins of 11-5 and 14-6.
Game 1: Ripon 11, UW-Platteville 5
Ripon wasted no time setting the tone, erupting for five runs in the first inning to take early control. The Red Hawks capitalized on aggressive baserunning and timely hitting, highlighted by a two-RBI single from senior Arianna Alirez (Anchorage, Alaska, Alaska Middle College School) and RBI contributions from senior Kayla Cruz (Anaheim, Calif., Anaheim HS) and sophomore Maddie Heisler (Appleton, Wis., Appleton East HS).
UW-Platteville answered with three runs in the bottom half, but Ripon continued to apply pressure. Sophomore Ashlyn Schultz (Denmark, Wis., Denmark HS) extended the lead with a solo home run in the second before the Red Hawks broke the game open in the fourth.
Ripon plated five more runs in the inning, with Schultz and freshman Cyriana Reinwald (Horicon, Wis., Horicon HS) delivering key RBI singles as the lead ballooned to 11-3.
Schultz led the offense with three hits, including a home run, while Reinwald and Cruz each drove in two runs. Alirez also added two hits and two RBI.
In the circle, freshman Peyton Vandeloo (Kaukauna, Wis., Freedom HS) went the distance to earn the win, allowing five runs on nine hits while striking out three.
Game 2: Ripon 14, UW-Platteville 6
The Red Hawks carried their offensive momentum into game two, piling up 18 hits in a high-scoring victory.
Freshman Carli Moldenhauer (Oconomowoc, Wis., Oconomowoc HS) and Alirez each homered early to give Ripon a 2-0 lead, but UW-Platteville responded with a five-run second inning to briefly take control.
Ripon answered right back. The Red Hawks tied the game in the fourth before taking the lead for good in the fifth on a grand slam from Heisler.
Ripon continued to add on late, with Reinwald launching a two-run home run in the sixth and the Red Hawks tacking on two more runs in the seventh.
Alirez finished with three hits and two RBI, while freshman Nora Lowney (Racine, Wis., Case HS) added four hits. Freshman Desirae Kallstrom (DeForest, Wis., DeForest HS) chipped in three hits and two RBI in the win.
Sophomore Alayna Sadowska (Oshkosh, Wis., Oshkosh West HS) earned the victory in relief, tossing 5.2 innings and allowing just two runs (one earned) while striking out four.
Ripon returns home Sunday, Mar 29, to host UW-La Crosse at Hopp Stadium, with first pitch scheduled for 11am.
