Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

RIPON, Wis. - The Ripon baseball team completed a four-game sweep of Beloit on Sunday, finishing the conference season with a league-best 14-2 record for the second consecutive season. The Red Hawks defeated the Buccaneers 10-2 in game one, before winning the nightcap 5-3, giving Ripon a four-game sweep in three of their four conference series' for the second consecutive season.

In the first game, pitcher Marshall Zahn (5-1) continued his recent dominance, recording 12 strikeouts in nine innings, without recording a walk, and allowing just one earned run. That gives Zahn double digit strikeouts in two consecutive starts and three of his last four, as he has allowed just four earned runs in his last 39 innings.

He didn't need much run support, but the Red Hawks (21-13, 14-2 MWC) gave it to him anyway, scoring their 10 runs on 12 hits. Beloit (15-18, 6-10 MWC) jumped out to an early lead with a run in the top of the first, but that only lasted until the second inning when Robbie Schuettpelz singled home Ripon's first run.

The Red Hawks blew the game wide open in the third, scoring seven runs on six hits, as the first nine batters in the inning reached base. Tom Sawyer drove in the first run of the frame with a double, while Nick Schmitt drove in two with a double of his own, his conference-leading 16th of the season, which moves him into a fourth-place tie in school history for a single season. Mitchell Busch also drove in a pair in the inning, while Jake Reinke and Nick Uhen also recorded one RBI apiece.

Ripon was led at the plate by Busch's 3-for-4 performance, which also saw him score a game-high two runs. Schuettpelz and Uhen added two hits apiece.

The second game again saw Beloit score the first run, as Austin Martinez recorded an RBI single in the top of the first. Ripon matched that with a run in the bottom of the inning, before taking the lead with a run in the third. The Red Hawks added two more in the fifth on RBI singles by Busch and Reinke.

Beloit made things interesting in the seventh, scoring two runs to pull within one, but they would leave the bases loaded, which ended a golden opportunity for the Buccaneers. Ripon added an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh and wouldn't allow a Beloit runner past second base in the final two innings.

Reinke and Dakotah Kirchenwitz led the offensive attack with two hits apiece, while Michael Polcyn scored a game-high two runs. Michael Anderson (1-2) earned the win, allowing three runs on six hits in 6.2 innings of work. Ryan Maier picked up his first collegiate save, allowing just one hit during the final 2.1 innings.

Ripon will have one final tune-up before hosting next weekend's MWC Tournament, as they'll host Marian University on Tuesday. A suspended game between the two teams will continue tied in the top of the 11th at 3 p.m., with another nine-inning contest to follow. LiveStats will be available for the second game at http://client.stretchinternet.com/client/ripon.portal.