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EAU CLAIRE, Wis. - The Red Hawks dream of a trip to the College Softball World Series disappeared Friday afternoon with a 3-0 loss to Illinois Wesleyan, knocking them out of the double-elimination tournament. Ripon allowed just four hits, but three costly errors in the first inning allowed Illinois Wesleyan to take an early 2-0 lead.
After Ripon (20-14) went scoreless in the top of the first, Illinois Wesleyan (30-10) had their first two batters reach base in the bottom of the inning, on a walk and an error, respectively. Those two runners would eventually come around to score to give the Titans the early lead. The first run crossed the plate on a wild pitch, while the second scored on a sacrifice fly to center field.
Ripon freshman pitcher Brittnee Peotter began to settle into a groove in the second inning, striking out the lead-off batter, but Illinois Wesleyan still managed to score one run in the frame. That lone run crossed the plate on an RBI single to centerfield.
The Illinois Wesleyan offense was shut down after the second, but Ripon's offense didn't make much noise either. The Red Hawks managed just two hits in the game, a first-inning single by Ashley Kirst and a seventh-inning single by Jessica Goudreau. Peotter (7-4) took the loss, allowing two earned runs on four hits in six innings of work.
The Red Hawks will hope to build on this season's success, which included their first-ever Midwest Conference Championship and initial trip to the NCAA Regional playoffs, as well as the third-most wins in program history. They'll try to do so next year under the direction of first-year head coach Jen Mueller.
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