Green Knights Rally For MWC Split With Ripon

From Sports Information Director, April 8, 2009 | Softball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

DE PERE - St. Norbert College rallied for a doubleheader split with Ripon College in a pair of Midwest Conference games at Mel Nicks Field. The Green Knights won the nightcap 3-1 after dropping the opener 3-0.

St. Norbert (3-11, 1-1 MWC) scored twice in the fourth inning and once in the fifth to erase a 1-0 deficit in game two. Brieanne Oehlke's two-out Texas League single to right plated Amy Brunner to tie the game at 1-1. Kim Sawyer then hit a hard shot through the Ripon third baseman's legs to score Kristin Zimmerman for a 2-1 lead. Stephanie Ortiz added a solo home run to center in the fifth for the Green Knights' third run.

Ripon (9-8, 3-1) got two base runners with two outs in the seventh, but Jessica Kropp struck out Ripon's Jackie Reichhart to end the game.

St. Norbert had three hits in the nightcap, but it was enough to make a winner out of Kropp, who earned her first collegiate victory. Kropp allowed five hits with two walks and five strikeouts. Ripon's Brittnee Peotter took the loss despite walking three and striking out nine.

In the opener, Ripon ace Andrea Knorr twirled a one-hit shutout, with Tracy Palmer's seeing-eye single to right in the third inning the only base hit for St. Norbert. Ripon scored once in the sixth on a Reichhart RBI double, and Natalie Geenen hit a two-run home run in the seventh for the last two runs.

Kayla Krueger took the loss for St. Norbert, allowing seven hits and three strikeouts while not walking a batter.