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RIPON, Wis. - The Red Hawk bats were awake from the beginning of game one to the end of game two Sunday in their non-conference battle with Edgewood College. The Eagles on the other hand took one full game to get going, but once they woke up, they did so in a big way. Ripon won the first game 11-0, before dropping a slugfest 19-16 in game two.
Ripon (14-9) jumped all over Edgewood's pitching early in game one, scoring all 11 runs in the first four innings. Chevy Schultz was responsible for both runs scored in the opening inning, as he blasted a double to left center, scoring Chad Olson and Kyle McFarland.
The Red Hawks were at it again in the second frame, scoring five more runs. Mac Shumann got the scoring started in the inning with an RBI single. The highlight of the inning came a few batters later when John Dunlavy belted his third home run of the season and second in as many days. His three-run homer gave Ripon a 6-0 lead. They would get another run in the inning on an Alex Duros single, which saw Schultz cross the plate.
They would add to that lead in the third inning on a McFarland single, which scored Olson and Brandan Birschbach. McFarland would then come around to score on a double by Shumann. Ripon got one more run in the fourth on a fielder's choice, which would cap the scoring in the game.
Mike Lloyd improves to 3-0 on the mound for the Red Hawks. Lloyd allowed just three hits through seven innings, while striking out six. McFarland, Shumann, Schultz, and Birschbach all finished with two hits for Ripon. McFarland and Dunlavy led the team with three RBI, while Olson scored three times.
Game two saw both schools get into the action at the plate. The two teams combined for 35 runs on 46 hits, including 12 for extra bases. Edgewood (22-9) looked like they would run away with the game early, scoring nine runs on 10 hits in the first inning. They added three more runs in the second to take a 12-0 run.
Ripon finally got on the board in the bottom of the second, as Duros scored on a fielder's choice. The Red Hawks would slowly, but surely climb back into the game with four more runs in the third. After Edgewood scored once in the top of the fourth, Ripon added two runs of their own in the bottom of that inning, highlighted by another home run by Dunlavy, his fourth of the season. The Red Hawks then cut the lead to five with a run in the fifth on a Dunlavy single, which scored McFarland from second base.
The Eagles tried to put the game out of reach with six runs in the top of the sixth to take a 19-8 lead. Ripon would not be fazed by that, as they scored four runs each in the seventh and eighth innings. They couldn't muster anything in the ninth however, going down in order, and losing 19-16. That loss snaps Ripon's 11 game win streak.
Bo Johnson had one of his best games of the season at the plate in the losing effort. Johnson went 4-for-6 with five RBI, including a three-run homer over the left field wall. Olson finished the game with three RBI, while Shumann and Dunlavy each had two. Schultz led the team with four runs scored.
Ripon will continue non-conference play this week, when they'll travel to Joliet, Ill. to take on the St. Francis (IL) in one nine inning game. That game will feature Ripon head coach Bob Gillespie squaring off with his father, USF and former Ripon head coach Gordie Gillespie. The first pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
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