Ripon needed just five hits Tuesday to end its at Ripon Christian in the fifth inning, winning 14-1 in Trans-Valley League softball play.
“I am happy with the way we played,” Indians coach Tanner Jordan said. “Overall, we had a good defensive day. Clara (Townsend) did great on the mound holding it down for us, and the defense backed her up well.
“Offensively we did a good job of putting the ball in play and taking advantage when we could.”
Townsend struck out seven and gave up one hit, walking one and giving up an unearned run.
“This was my first pitching appearance in a little bit,” Townsend said. “I have been working on mechanics more and I just wanted to come out strong with what I have been working on.”
Jackie Faria reached base three times and scored twice, belting a two-RBI single in the three-run first inning for Ripon (8-3 TVL, 17-7 overall) that scored Ellie Spurzem and Mikayla Dietrich.
“I just try to do my best,” Faria said. “See ball, hit ball, do whatever I can to help out the team.”
Spurzem got on base four times, knocked in and scored three runs. She plated Teagan Osborn on a fielder’s choice in the second inning and plated Teagan Osborn and Addie Naranjo in a six-run third.
“I really just had a mindset not to do too much in the box,” Spurzem said. “I was just trying to get on base, not do anything special. I just wanted to help my team out.”
Batting out of the nine hole, Osborn rapped out a pair of infield singles and scored twice.
“During practice, I have been working really hard on my batting,” Osborn said. “Working to get better on all of batting, including bunting and hitting.
“I was just trying to do anything I could to help the team.”
Addie Naranjo led off for Ripon and knocked in two runs in that six-run third, scoring Faria and Emmersyn Borges. She scored two runs and reached base two more times when her infield shots were too hot to handle.
Austin MacWilliams reached base twice for the Knights (1-10-1, 2-16-1), walking in the first inning and laying down a successful two-out bunt in the third. After stealing second and third in the third, MacWilliams scored when Natalie Beene’s infield grounder was misplayed.
“We had one senior,” Ripon Christian coach Steve deGraaf said. “That was Natalie (Beenes), and she started out playing second base and she has been catching the last three games for us and doing a great job back there. She is strong.”
The Knights travel to Sonora today to continue a tied game and wrap up their schedule on Thursday afternoon in Stockton in a non-league game against Venture Academy at 5 p.m.
“We were tied after eight innings with Sonora and the girls want to see if they can go up there and finish off with a win,” deGraaf said.
The Indians have a makeup game at Hilmar on Thursday at 4 p.m. to end the regular season.
