RHINELANDER, Wis. – The UW-Stevens Point softball team (2-2) split games on Sunday at the UTC Invite despite posting 15 runs. UWSP defeated Ripon, 10-5, before later in the day falling to Marian by the same score.
 
Rachel Baker (Richmond, Ill./Richmond-Burton Community) had four hits on the day. She drove in three and scored twice. Lillie Lindgren (Elburn, Ill./Kaneland) and Jesse Klicker (Spring Grove, Ill/Richmond-Burton Community) also had three RBI on the day.  Lindgren posted two hits while Klicker had three hits with four runs scored on the day.
 
Trinity Otto (Mequon, Wis./Homestead), Maddie Candre (St. Charles, Ill./East), Emmie Cibrario (Kenosha, Wis./Tremper) and Sophia Heckendorf (Jackson, Wis./Kettle Moraine Lutheran) all added multi-hit days.
 
In the circle, Ashley Zygowski (Saukville, Wis./Port Washington) continued to deal. She earned her second win of the weekend with 6.0 innings of two-hit relief against Ripon, striking out 10. She added six more strikeouts over 4.0 against Marian.
 
Game 1 – UWSP 10, Ripon 5
A trio of walks in the first inning to Meg Lawrence (Antioch, Ill./Antioch Community), Candre and Klicker loaded the based with two away. Lindgren then punished the ball for a base-clearing double to left-center to give UWSP a 3-0 lead. A wild pitch moved pinch runner Jena Garceau (Manitowoc, Wis./Roncalli Catholic) to third and she scored on an infield single by Baker. Baker stole second and scored on Cibrario single for a 5-0 lead.
 
The Red Hawks turned three hits in the bottom of the inning into two runs for a 5-2 score after one.
 
Sara Traxel (Oak Creek, Wis./Oak Creek) led off the second with a single. Candre drew another walk and both moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Klicker followed with a double to plate both runners. Two batters later, Baker doubled to score Klicker. An infield single by Cibrario and walk by Heckendorf loaded the bases. Otto singled to push home a run for a 9-2 lead.
 
Ripon again responded in the bottom of the inning. Six hits, all consecutive singles, gave the Red Hawks three runs to make it 9-5.
 
Klicker hit a one-out single in the third. She stole second and third before a two-out single by Baker pushed her home for the 10-5 lead.
 
Zygowski allowed two base runners the remainder of the game with eight of her 10 strikeouts coming in the five frames.
 
Game 2 – UWSP 5, Marian 10
The Sabres got on the board first with two runs on three hits in the top of the first.  Marian posted four more runs in the second and UWSP faced a 6-0 deficit.
 
Heckendorf led the UWPS third off with a single. With two away in the inning, she scored on a double by Klicker to get UWSP on the board. Marian answered right back with a run in the top of the fourth.
 
Candre began the fourth for the Pointers with a single. Zygowski roped a double to left-center that one-hopped the fence to put two in scoring position. A wild pitch scored the first run. Two batters later, Lindgren drove in another to get UWSP within 7-3.
 
In the fifth, UWSP continued to chip away. Klicker reached on a one-out error. She stole second. That didn't matter as Abby Van Beek (Mayville, Wis./Mayville) drove a two-run home run out of the park as UWSP was down just two.
 
Marain spoiled to comeback attempt with three runs in the sixth. In the bottom of the sixth, Allie Meyer singled with one away. Gabrielle DeCleene (Pulaski, Wis./Pulaski) pummeled a double through the wall in right-center holding the lead runner from scoring and both would be stranded.
 
The Pointers travel to Peoria, Ill., for the Blue Angel Invite beginning on Thursday (Mar. 2). UWSP faces Loras at 4:00 and Edgewood at 6:00 p.m. to begin the tournament.