JACKSONVILLE, Ill. -- Making its first Midwest Conference Tournament appearance in 15 years, the Ripon College softball team saw its historic 2026 season come to a close Friday with losses to Lake Forest and Cornell College at Jessica Kamp Field.
The Red Hawks entered the conference tournament after finishing third in the MWC regular season standings with a 25-11 overall record, marking one of the program's strongest campaigns in recent history. Ripon concluded the year with a 25-13 final record.
Ripon opened tournament play against Lake Forest, falling 6-4 despite a late rally. The Foresters built an early lead behind a three-run home run in the second inning and added three more runs across the third and fifth innings to take a 6-1 advantage.
The Red Hawks responded in the sixth inning. Freshman Desirae Kallstrom (DeForest, Wis., DeForest HS) drove in a run with an RBI single before freshman Nora Lowney (Racine, Wis., Case HS) added a sacrifice fly. Freshman Sarah Marcheske (Waukesha, Wis., Kettle Moraine HS) then blasted a solo home run to cut the deficit to 6-4, but Ripon was unable to complete the comeback in the seventh.
Marcheske led the offense with a home run, while senior Kayla Cruz (Anaheim, Calif., Anaheim HS) and junior Nadiyah Huizar (Buena Park, Calif., Buena Park HS) each recorded two hits. Freshman Peyton Vandeloo (Kaukauna, Wis., Freedom HS) struck out six over six innings in the circle.
Facing elimination later in the day, Ripon battled Cornell College in another hard-fought contest. Cornell built an 8-0 lead entering the bottom of the seventh before the Red Hawks made one final surge.
Senior Hadley Berendsen (Kimberly, Wis., Kimberly HS) sparked the rally with a two-run double, followed by a two-run double from sophomore Maddie Heisler (Appleton, Wis., Appleton East HS). Ripon continued to pressure the Rams with another run scoring on an error before Marcheske delivered an RBI single to bring the tying run to the plate. The comeback ultimately fell short as Cornell secured the 8-7 victory.
Marcheske finished 3-for-4 in the finale, while Berendsen and Heisler each drove in two runs. Freshman Cyriana Reinwald (Horicon, Wis., Horicon HS) reached base four times with three walks and a hit.
Across the two tournament games, Marcheske paced the Red Hawks offensively by going 4-for-7 with a home run, double, two RBI, and two runs scored.
The tournament appearance marked a significant milestone for the program, as Ripon returned to postseason play for the first time since 2011 and recorded its highest win total in years during a memorable 2026 campaign.
