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GALESBURG, Ill. – Ripon had two chances to win their fifth consecutive Midwest Conference Championship on Saturday, but their powerful offense was silenced for much of the day by tournament host Knox College, who defeated the Red Hawks 4-2 and 5-4 to win the MWC crown. That puts the Prairie Fire into the NCAA Regional Tournament for the first time in school history.
Knox (15-23) got on the board first in the opening game, scoring twice in the bottom of the third. The first run came via an RBI triple, while the other run came one batter later on a run-scoring single. Ripon's Nick Beaman would cut that lead in half in the fourth inning with a sacrifice fly, but Knox scored two more runs in the fifth, with both runs coming on a double to left center.
Ripon (27-10) waited until the ninth inning to score their only other run, as Beaman recorded his second sac fly of the game. That left one runner on base with two outs, but the final batter of the inning struck out to end the game, forcing a second championship game.
In that second game, Ripon looked to be focused early, with the first two batters reaching base. Bryant Bullock led things off with a double, and was driven home on the next at-bat by Beaman. That lead didn't last long, as Knox posted three runs in the bottom of the inning. The first run crossed the plate on a wild pitch, while the other two scored on a single and double, respectively.
Ripon closed the gap in the third on yet another Beaman sac fly, which scored Scott Gillespie from third base. The Red Hawks would then take the lead in the following inning, scoring on a Knox throwing error and an RBI single by Aaron Kastner. Once again, that lead was shortlived, with Knox scoring two runs in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead for good. They tied the game on a groundout and took the 5-4 advantage on a fielder's choice.
With their elimination from the MWC Tournament, the Red Hawks finish the 2008 season tied for the fourth most wins in program history. Ripon also finished the year with the second-most hits (424) and fourth-most runs (315) in school history.
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