April 30, 2007

RIPON, Wis. - The Ripon softball team has been on a roll lately, winning 5 of their last six games, thanks in part to their pitching. Monday, Jen Mueller received the Midwest Conference Pitcher of the Week award for her performance on the mound. That marks the first POW award for a Ripon softball player this season.

Mueller posted a 4-1 record last week, throwing a trio of complete games to help Ripon clinch a berth in the 2007 MWC Championship Tournament. Mueller allowed eight earned runs in 25.1 innings, walking five and striking out seven. The senior righty’s week included a two-hit shutout of Beloit and a three-hit effort in a 2-1 win over Lawrence. In game one against Beloit on Sunday, Mueller became the school’s career strikeout leader after striking out the 221st batter of her career. The 11-game winner enters the MWC tourney ranked second in the conference in ERA (1.99) and opponents batting average (.245).