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RIPON, Wis. – Ripon and Carroll were scheduled for two nine-inning contests Tuesday afternoon, but the Red Hawks only needed seven innings in each game, thanks to the mercy rule, to pick up two wins and remain in first place in the Midwest Conference. The Red Hawks didn't trail in either game, winning the first one 12-2, while also winning game two, 19-9.
The Red Hawks (14-3, 6-0 MWC) jumped on Carroll pitching early, picking up a run in the first inning on an RBI single by Nick Whitty. They added another run in the third when Alex Duros came home on a Carroll error.
After Carroll (6-12, 2-4 MWC) got on the board with a run in the top of the fifth, the Ripon offense really started to heat up. They scored three more runs in the bottom of the fifth, four in the sixth, and three more in the seventh. Nick Beaman kicked the offense up a gear with a home run to lead off the fifth inning, his fifth homer in five conference games this season. Nate Paul and Brandan Birschbach also had RBIs in that inning.
The sixth inning, which saw nine Ripon batters come to the plate, was led off by a perfect bunt single by Brett Wegner down the third base line. He would later score on an error. Mac Shumann and Nate Paul added two and one RBI, respectively, in the inning.
Carroll got a run in the top of the seventh, but it wasn't enough, as Ripon put the game away with three runs in the bottom of the inning, capped off by an RBI single by Paul.
Paul led the way with a 4-for-5 performance at the plate, to go along with three RBI. Bryant Bullock and Duros each added two hits apiece, while Beaman and Mac Shumann each scored three runs and drove in two runs each. Mike Lloyd earned the win, pitching all seven innings, while allowing one earned run on six hits.
The second game started just as the first one ended, with runs aplenty for the Red Hawks. Ripon scored at least one run in all seven innings, including three in the opening frame. Shumann set the tone with a triple to left center, which scored two runs. Duros drove in the other run of the inning with a sac fly.
The two teams each scored once in the second, and Ripon added three more in the third on RBIs by Beaman, Bullock, and Scott Gillespie.
The Red Hawks seemed to have Carroll on the ropes after scoring four times in the bottom of the fifth to take a
14-4 lead, but the Pioneers would continue to fight. They scored five runs in the top of the sixth to cut Ripon's lead in half. That didn't phase the Red Hawks, who nearly matched that with four runs in the bottom of the inning, the big blow coming on a two-run double by Duros. Carroll then went down in order in the top of the seventh, before Ripon added the game-clinching run in the bottom of that inning on a Shumann double to center, which scored Wegner from third.
Shumann had a near-perfect game at the plate in the nightcap, going 5-for-6, including two triples and a double, to go along with six RBI and three runs scored. All nine players in Ripon's lineup recorded at least one hit and drove in at least one run. Eight players produced a multi-hit game, while the team combined for 21 hits, which is tied for third in school history.
Ripon will hope to duplicate Tuesday's feat tomorrow, when the Red Hawks will travel to Carroll on Wednesday for the second half of the four-game series. The first game will begin at 2:30 p.m. at Waukesha West High School.
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