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STEVENS POINT, Wis. - One year ago, UW-Stevens Point ended the Red Hawks season in the Regional Finals, just one game before the College World Series began. Saturday, Ripon exacted at least a little bit of revenge, sweeping the Pointers in a doubleheader. The Red Hawks won the first game 4-2 before winning the second game 10-9 in 12 innings.
Ripon (13-8) got on the board first in game one and never trailed the whole game. John Dunlavy gave them the lead with a lead-off home run in the second inning. Chad Olson added to that lead when he singled to left field, allowing Matt Dwyer to cross the plate. UW-Stevens Point (16-11) would knot the score up at two in the fourth inning. They led the inning off with a triple, and scored their first run on a wild pitch. The tying run came via a double to center.
Dunlavy would give the Red Hawks another lead in the seventh with a single to left center, scoring Mac Shumann from second base. Dunlavy would give Ripon an insurance run in the ninth with another RBI on a sac fly. Jordan Baitinger did the rest for the Red Hawks on the mound. Baitinger improved his record to 4-1 by pitching a complete game, while allowing two earned runs and striking out 10.
Game two proved to be much different from the first game. UW-Stevens Point shot out of the gates, scoring the first seven runs of the game. They scored twice in the second and twice more in the third, including a lead-off home run. The Pointers then tacked on three more runs in the fourth inning, which was capped off by a steal of home plate.
The Red Hawks didn't get their first hit of the game until the fifth when Bo Johnson singled to right. Johnson would score Ripon's first run, thanks to three consecutive walks by the Pointers. After another run in the fifth, Ripon would score two more in the seventh without recording a single hit in the inning, thanks to two walks, a hit by pitch and a UW-Stevens Point error. The Red Hawks would take their first lead of the game with five runs in the eighth inning.
Just when it looked as if Ripon were on its way to a win, Stevens Point tied the game in the bottom of the ninth. After loading the bases, they cut the lead to one run on a fielder's choice. They would then score the tying run on a Kyle McFarland error with two-out in the inning, sending the game to extra-innings.
McFarland would more than make up for his miscue in the 12th inning, as he homered over the left field wall with one-out in the inning. Greg Basthemer would then shut down the Pointers in the bottom of the inning, setting them down in order, and giving the Red Hawks their 10th consecutive victory.
McFarland and Alex Duros each led Ripon with two hits in game two. McFarland led the team with three RBI, while Shumann had two, both of which came on a double to break the 7-7 tie in the seventh inning.
Ripon will try to extend their winning streak, as they'll host Edgewood College Sunday in a non-conference doubleheader. Game one is scheduled to begin at Noon.
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