RIPON, Wis. - The Ripon College baseball team opened their 2016 conference season Sunday with a pair of losses to St. Norbert College. The Red Hawks dropped the first game 8-1, before falling 15-4 in seven innings in the nightcap.

The day started well for the Red Hawks (2-14, 0-2 MWC), as Nick Schmitt gave them their only lead of the afternoon in the bottom of the first of the opening game with his second home run of the season, a solo shot over the left field wall. That gives Schmitt 17 career homers, which moves him into 10th place in the storied history of the Ripon baseball program.

That lead lasted until the fifth when St. Norbert (6-6, 2-0 MWC) plated a pair of runs on a double off the bat of Hunter Larson. The Green Knights added two more runs the following inning and another in the seventh, before putting the game away with a three-spot in the top of the eighth.

Ripon finished with six hits in the contest, three of which came from Schmitt, who recorded a hit in each of his at-bats. Drew Slade (0-3) pitched well, but suffered the loss, allowing two earned runs on just four hits, while striking out six in six innings of work.

St. Norbert was led by Larson, who went 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored. Jake McMahaon went the distance for the victory, allowing one run on six hits and striking out five.

In the day's second game, St. Norbert scored early and often, plating five runs in both the second and third frames. Ripon would get on the board in the bottom of the third on an RBI single by Josh Oswald, but St. Norbert added four runs in the fourth to take a 14-1 lead. Nick Kita would later drive in a run with a sac fly, while Riley Erickson would also drive in a run with a single, but it wasn't enough to come back from the early deficit.

The Red Hawks tallied eight hits, with three coming off the bat of Oswald. Matt Hecht (0-3) struck out three batters, but suffered the loss.

St. Norbert registered 15 hits, with three apiece coming from Derek Klegin and Adam Enwiya, who combined for nine RBI. Jason Malkowski (3-0) earned the win, allowing two earned runs on six hits and striking out four in his five innings.

Ripon will try to rebound on Tuesday against this same St. Norbert team. That doubleheader will begin at 1 p.m. in De Pere, Wis. with LiveStats available at http://www.snc.edu/athletics/teamfiles/livestats/xlive.htm.