Softball Swept at Ripon on Saturday

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (04/12/2026) — The Monmouth College softball team saw their 5-game win streak snapped on Saturday with two losses at Ripon. The Fighting Scots (10-18, 5-3) dropped the opener 3-1 and lost game two 5-4.

GAME ONE

Ripon scored three runs in the bottom of the first against Alyssa Hefflefinger (Olin, Iowa). A lead off double and a 2-out walk plus two steals put two in scoring position. A single to center made it 2-0 and two more singles gave the Red Hawks a 3-0 lead.

Graci Guenther (Pekin, Illinois) and Brooklyn Millhollin (Peoria, Illinois) both singled in the second but were left in scoring position. Millhollin walked in the fourth but the Scots didn't score until the fifth. Guenther led off with a single and moved up on an error as Alexis Hardy (Rushville, Illinois) reached. Karliegh Ashby (Monmouth, Illinois) walked to load the bases and Guenther scored on a RBI fielders' choice by Ella Cunningham (Dunlap, Illinois). A double steal put the tying run in scoring position but a strikeout and pop up ended the threat.

Mackenzie Gerard (Jacksonville, Illinois) started the sixth with a single but the next three batters were retired. Hardy was hit by a pitch in the seventh to bring the tying run to the plate but a double play ended the game.

Hefflefinger (3-7) took the loss despite another complete game. She allowed three runs on 10 hits while walking two and striking out two.

GAME TWO

Ripon again scored three in the first inning, this time against Elizabeth Durfee (Arlington, Washington). They started the game with a single and sacrifice bunt before another hit made it 1-0. A double and passed ball made it 2-0 and a third run scored on a single to left.

Millhollin led off the second with a single for the Scots and with two outs, Hardy singled to put runners on the corners. A single by Ashby put the Scots on the board before Ripon got out of the inning.

Down 4-1, Monmouth got on the board again in the fourth. Guenther singled with two outs and Hardy delivered a RBI double. Ashby walked but the Scots lost a runner at the plate to end the inning.

Ripon plated a run in the sixth against reliever Addie Greene (Rushville, Illinois). Monmouth rallied in the seventh but fell one run short. Ashby walked to start the inning and she moved to second on a grounder before stealing third. Savannah Powers (Volo, Illinois) walked and Ashby scored as Maddie Hepner (Alexis, Illinois) reached on an error. Kerigan Lewis (Cambridge, Illinois) ran at first as the tying run with two outs and both runners moved up on a passed ball. Millhollin walked and Elizabeth Waymire (Havana, Illinois) was hit by a pitch to cut the Ripon lead to 5-4. With the bases loaded, Ripon ended the game with a groundout to third.

Durfee (4-4) took the loss as she allowed two earned runs on seven hits over two innings while walking one. Greene threw four innings of relief and allowed one run on four hits.

MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Ashby is the 37th player in school history to play in more than 100 games ... Her 9-game hit streak ended in game one ... She is now tied for 15th on the career hist list ... Gerard's 8-game hit streak ended in game two ... Guenther and Millhollin had hits in both games ... Guenther had her sixth multi-hit game in game one ... Hefflefinger has 12 career complete games ... Durfee moved into a tie with Sonya Meyers for eighth in pitching starts with 48 ... Monmouth is 19-19 all-time against Ripon with two losses last year ... Monmouth plays a 1 p.m. double header against Lawrence on Sunday and the games have been moved to Green Bay, Wisconsin ... The next home game is April 25 against Grinnell.