No. 20 Softball Rocks Ripon in Home Opener

MEQUON, Wis. – The 20^th-ranked Concordia Wisconsin softball team opened the home portion of the schedule on Friday afternoon against the Red Hawks of Ripon. The Falcons won a pair of five-inning games 11-0 and 8-0 to impro to 11-3 on the season.

The Falcons hit early and often on Friday and started the attack in the first inning.

Junior Madi Wheat (Coweta, Okla.) started the attack with a single up the middle of the infield to score senior Sydney Erdmann (Geneva, Ill.).

Sophomore Jasmine Freeze (Bolingbrook, Ill.) closed the first-inning scoring with a rocket over the fence in left field to score Madi Wheat and sophomore Jess Pozezinski (Lake Villa, Ill.).

The birds added four more runs in the third inning.

Senior Claudia Utz (Lockport, Ill.) crushed the ball over the fence in left field.

Sophomore Megan Bloyer (Oregon, Wis.) scored on an infield tap from senior Ashley Zappa (Zion, Ill.).

A pair of double steals scored junior Emily Walters (Waupun, Wis.) and freshman Julia Moker (Hubertus, Wis.).

Claudia Utz struck again in the fourth inning with a double to center field that plated sophomore KianaMarie Taccad (Chicago, Ill.).

Megan Bloyer kept the double train rolling to score Nicole Grove.

A sacrifice fly from Ashley Zappa closed the scoring in game one when freshman Taylor Jacobson (Kenosha, Wis.) scored.

Senior Gina Followell (Romeoville, Ill.) crushed the Red Hawks with 11 strikeouts and only two hits.

Madi Wheat, Jess Pozezinski, Claudia Utz, Megan Bloyer and Jasmine Freeze all finished with two hits in game one.

Sydney Erdmann and Julia Moker both stole a pair of bases on Friday.

The birds scored in all five innings in game two.

Madi Wheat ran home on a sacrifice fly to center field for Jess Pozezinski in the first inning.

In the second inning, freshman Rylie DuVal (Elgin, Ill.) singled to right field to score Megan Bloyer from second base with two outs.

Claudia Utz smacked her second home run of the day in the third inning to center field that also scored Madi Wheat.

Ashley Zappa scored off the bat of senior Gabbi Gaziano (Beloit, Wis.) in the fourth inning. Rylie DuVal then scored off the bat of Madi Wheat.

The fourth inning ended when Gabbi Gaziano ran home when Madi Wheat distracted the defense with a rundown.

A sacrifice fly from Ashley Zappa ended the game when Claudia Utz crossed home plate.

Senior Nicki Becker (Brodhead, Wis.) was dominant again in the circle with six strikeouts and only two hits.

Rylie DuVal and Madi Wheat both had a pair of hits and DuVal also had a stolen base.

Friday marked the first shutout sweep for the Falcons since a 15-0, 8-0 sweep at Alverno on April 11, 2022.

The Falcons are scheduled to open the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference portion of the schedule on Sunday at Dominican. The two teams have the two highest winning percentages in the conference.