Ripon, WI-  Tuesday saw the Mount Mary softball team head to Ripon College.  The Blue Angels and the Red Hawks met in two contests on Ripon's campus.  Mount Mary erased a seven run deficit in game one, but they fell one run short in a wild 12-11 loss.  In game two, the roles were reversed.  Mt Mary shot out to a lead, followed by a Ripon comeback and 10-9 Red Hawk victory.

In game one, the Red hawks struck early with seven runs in the bottom of the 1^st inning.  The Blue Angels would answer with three runs in the top of the 3^rd, Aariana Kraut, Mary DeFore, Katelyn McCallum and Alexandria Eads came through with hits in the inning.

The next runs of game one came in the top of the 5^th.  A run scoring single by Aariana Kraut brought the Blue Angels within three runs at 7-4.  Mary DeFore drew a bases loaded walk and MMU trailed by only a two run margin at 7-5.  The line would continue to move as Micaela Gonzalez scored on a wild pitch, Katelyn McCallum then struck one of the game's big blows with a clutch two out double.  The Blue Angels had scored 9 unanswered runs and led Ripon 9-7 heading into the bottom of the 5^th. 

Brianna Lupa replaced Kraut in the pitching circle in the bottom of the 5^th.  The Red Hawks offense answered back in the inning, with three runs to claim a 10-9 lead as the game headed to inning number six. 

Micaela Gonzalez evened the contest at 10 with a double in the top of the 6^th.  Gonzalez would score on a Brianna Lupa single and MMU once again reclaimed the lead at 11-10.  The back and forth nature of the day continued as Ripon plated two in their half of the 6^th and took the lead back at 12-11. 

Mount Mary would bring the equalizing run to 2^nd base in the 7^th but would be unable to tie the game for a third time. 

Offensively in game one, DeFore, Kraut and Gonzalez each had three hits.

Game two saw Mount Mary jump out to the lead.  A Brianna Ecker two run double in the top of the first put MMU ahead 2-0.    Mary DeFore continued her red hot day at the plate with a 2-run double in the second and Mount Mary was out to a 4-0 lead.  The line continued to move in the second inning as McCallum doubled in DeFore.  A run scoring single by Sam Allen extended the Blue Angel lead to 6-0. 

The Blue Angels would not slow down in the inning, Micaela Gonzalez singled up the middle to extend the lead to 7-0.

Ripon scored a single run in the 2nd and the Blue Angels took an 8-1 lead into the 3rd.

Sam Allen continued to swing a hot bat as she tallied a run scoring double in inning number 5.  MMU took a 9-2 lead into the bottom of the 5th.

Remarkably, Ripon turned the tide in the bottom of the 6th.  The Red Hawks came all the way back to lead 10-9 heading into the 7th inning.

Mount Mary was unable to score in the 7th and fell in game two by a 10-9 final score. 

DeFore, McCallum, Lupa, Ecker and Allen each had two hits or more in game 2.  Mount Mary had 15 hits as a team.

The Blue Angels (9-22) will be back on the field on Wednesday, April 24^th.  MMU will head to Lisle, Illinois to take on Benedictine University.  The doubleheader games are scheduled for 3 and 5 pm.  Stay tuned to www.mtmaryathletics.com for all coverage of Mount Mary softball.