Box Score vs. Fontbonne
Box Score vs. Hope

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - Ripon's baseball team picked up its first win of the 2014 season Wednesday afternoon, defeating Fontbonne 8-6, as the game was ended on a three-run homer off the bat of Nate Siudak in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Red Hawks then dropped the nightcap 12-2 against Hope College.

In their first game of the day, the Red Hawks (1-5) got on the board early thanks to a two-run homer by Michael Polcyn. Fontbonne (5-3) scored their first run in the fifth, but Polcyn answered with another two-run bomb in the bottom of that frame.

Fontbonne then took their first lead of the game with five runs in the sixth. Ripon cut that lead to one in the seventh on an RBI double by Mitchell Busch. After neither team scored in the eighth, the stage was set for Siudak's heroics in the ninth. Nick Schmitt and Polcyn each singled ahead of Siudak, who blasted a one-out offering over the outfield wall.

Polcyn and Busch each finished three of Ripon's 14 hits, while Schmitt, Tom Sawyer and Jake Reinke each recorded two base knocks. Jeff Schuurmans (1-0) earned the win, pitching two hitless innings of relief.

The second game of the day didn't go as smoothly for the Red Hawks, as Hope (2-6) jumped on the scoreboad early with two runs in the second inning. They added four more in the third, one in the fourth and three in the fifth before Ripon scored their first runs in the seventh, coming on a fielder's choice and an error.

Busch, Sam Waters and Justin Kurth led Ripon with two hits apiece, with Sawyer and Dakotah Kirchenwitz driving in the team's only runs.

The Red Hawks will be in action again on Thursday when they'll play Allegheny and Rowan at 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., respectively. Those games will both be held at Chain of Lakes Field One in Winter Haven, Fla.