April 29, 2007

Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score

RIPON, Wis. - For the second consecutive season, Ripon will play in the Midwest Conference Tournament. The Red Hawks clinched a berth in the tourney Sunday, thanks to a sweep of their doubleheader with Beloit College. Ripon didn't allow a run all day, winning the first game 4-0, and the second, 3-0.

Game one started out slow, with the teams combining for one hit through the first three and a half innings. That all changed in the bottom of the fourth, as the Red Hawks (16-12, 9-4) received a barrage of hits from the heart of its order. Natalie Geenen led off the inning with Ripon's first hit of the game, a single to left field. After a sacrifice moved her to second, Krista Shafer singled, moving Geenen to third. She would score on a passed ball, one batter later. Jen Mueller and Jackie Reichhart each followed with an RBI single, and Jessica Goudreau capped the outburst, as she reached on an error, scoring Mary Friend.

That would be all the Red Hawks would need, thanks to Mueller, who was dominant on the mound. The senior pitched all seven innings, allowing just two hits, for her 11th victory of the season. Mueller also struck out two, giving her a school record 221 strikeouts for her career, breaking the previous record, held by Jenny Lauer (1999-2002).

The Red Hawks didn't waste as much time getting on the board in game two, scoring once in the top of the second. Reichhart led the inning off with a double to deep right field. Friend, who came in as a pinch runner for Reichhart would score the first run of the game on a ground out by Joelle Shady.

Ripon would add two more insurance runs in the fifth. The inning was started by a Tara Rabideaux walk. She would score two batters later on a Mueller single to left. Mueller would eventually score from third base on a double steal, giving the Red Hawks a 3-0 lead.

Much like the first game, Ripon's pitching held the Buccaneers (9-19, 4-9) in check in game two. Andrea Knorr earned her fifth win of the season, pitching a complete game five-hitter, while walking just one batter.

Ripon will now play the waiting game to see if they will host the Midwest Conference tournament. The Red Hawk's regular season is now complete, but St. Norbert, who is just one point behind Ripon in the point conference point standings still has a twin bill with Lawrence on Tuesday. A Viking sweep will give Ripon home field advantage in the conference tournament, but just one Green Knight victory will send the tournament north to De Pere.