March 24, 2007

Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score

RIPON, Wis. - The Red Hawks opened their 2007 home season just the way they had anticipated, with a win. Ripon won game one of their doubleheader 12-5 against Purdue-North Central (IN), before losing the second game 7-3 at Francis Field.

There was scoring aplenty in the first game of the double-dip, as each team scored in the first inning. After PNC got on the board with a run in the first, Ripon countered with two runs of their own, highlighted by Mac Shumann's two run double with two outs.

PNC Gained their first lead of the game in the third. After scoring three runs in the inning, the Panthers led 5-2. Ripon had an answer in the bottom half of the inning, in the form of a two-run homerun by Chevy Schultz, capping a three-run inning to tie the game. Ripon went ahead for good the following inning, getting on the board four more times. The Red Hawk defense and pitching beared down the rest of the game by not allowing another run to cross the plate. They would also add three more insurance runs to snag the victory.

Ripon had five players record multiple-hit games. Shumann, Chad Olson, Kyle McFarland, Alex Duros, and Bo Johnson all had two hits apiece. John Dunlavy led the team with four RBI, while Shumann and Schultz added two of their own. Jordan Baitinger recorded his first win of the season for the Red Hawks. Baitinger pitched four innings of nine-hit ball, while allowing five earned runs and striking out two PNC batters.

Purdue North Central got on the board first again in the second game, and this time, they would hold that lead for the full nine innings. PNC scored once in each of the first three innings, before getting two runs in the fourth, en route to an early 5-0 lead.

Ripon tried to battle back again, just as they'd done in the first game. The Red Hawks matched PNC with two runs of their own in the fourth. They added another run in the sixth, on a Shumann homerun to leftfield. That would be as close as they'd get the rest of the way. PNC added two more runs to make sure they went home with one victory.

Ripon was led by Shumann's two hits. Along with his RBI, the Red Hawks also received one run batted in apiece from Bo Johnson and Brandan Birschbach. Matt Dwyer took the loss, dropping his record to 1-1 this season.

The Red Hawks next game is scheduled for April 1, as they'll try to fool Marian College in a doubleheader. The first game of that double-dip will begin at 12:00 p.m. in Fond du Lac.