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JANESVILLE, Wis. - The Red Hawks sandwiched a loss between two wins in their three games at the shortened 2008 MWC Classic. The event, originally scheduled for two days and five conference games per team, was shortened to a one-day event of three games apiece due to rain. All games counted towards each school's non-conference record. Ripon started their day off on the right note, defeating MWC South Division leader Lake Forest 12-10 in eight innings. The Red Hawks then dropped their second game 7-6 to Monmouth, before winning the nightcap 7-2 against Grinnell.
In the opening game against Lake Forest, the Red Hawks looked like they may be in for a long day, giving up four runs to the Foresters in the bottom of the first. That wasn't the case however, as they answered with four runs of their own in the top of the second. Mary Friend got Ripon on the board with an RBI single, which was followed by a three-run home run by Natalie Geenen. That long-ball moves Geenen into second place in school history in home runs, with 10 for her career.
Lake Forest took the lead again in the bottom of the inning with two more runs. Ripon then cut the lead to one in the third on an RBI single from Bethany Mehlberg, but the Foresters got some breathing room in the fourth, scoring four more times to take a 10-5 lead.
That lead would evaporate in the fifth, which saw nine Ripon batters come to the plate. Mehlberg added two more RBI, while Friend and Geenen also drove in one more run apiece. Geenen's two-out double tied the game at 10, scoring Friend from second base. The score remained knotted up at 10 until the eighth inning, when Jackie Reichhart drove in two runs with a double to give the Red Hawks the victory.
The second game saw Ripon take an early lead on Monmouth thanks to an RBI single from Ashley Kirst in the first inning. That lead would be short-lived, with Monmouth taking the lead for good in the bottom of the second, as they put up four runs in that inning.
Ripon nearly came back to tie the game in the final inning. After falling behind 7-3 after six innings, Kirst led off the seventh with a single, which was followed by singles from Krista Shafer and Reichhart to load the bases. Andrea Knorr would cut the Monmouth lead in half with a two-run single. Mehlberg followed with another clutch hit, an RBI double, putting the tying run in scoring position with two outs. The comeback would eventually come up short after Monmouth made a pitching change to get the final batter to pop out.
The Red Hawks would then end the day the way it started, with a win, defeating Grinnell 7-2. Ripon took a 7-1 lead after three innings and just coasted from there. The big inning was the second, which saw five Red Hawks cross the plate. The first two batters of that inning reached on an error, allowing Megan Sockness to drive in a run. Geenen followed suit with an RBI single later in the inning, while Reichhart added two more RBI with a single to right field. Shafer would cap the scoring in that inning, scoring on a passed ball.
The Pioneers would add a run in the sixth, but it was not enough, as the Ripon pitching sealed the deal. Knorr (5-5) was credited with the win, going all seven innings, allowing one earned run on just three hits, while striking out eight batters.
Geenen led the Red Hawks with six hits in the three games combined, to go along with six RBI, and five runs scored. Shafer and Friend each recorded four hits on the day, while Mehlberg had three, to go along with four RBI. Reichhart also had a big day, getting three hits, including two doubles, while also driving in five runs on the day.
Ripon will be in action again on Wednesday, as they'll travel to MSOE for a non-conference doubleheader. The first game will begin at 3:00 p.m. in Milwaukee.
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