With four conference games left this season, Ripon's baseball team is still in the thick of the race for a spot in the Midwest Conference Tournament. The Red Hawks picked up a pair of victories Sunday, defeating Carroll 11-10 in 12 innings and 4-1 to complete the doubleheader sweep and move within one-half game of second place in the MWC North standings.

In the first game of the day, Carroll (11-14, 1-7 MWC) struck first with a run in the top of the second. Ripon (9-19, 7-5 MWC) answered with two runs in the bottom of that inning on RBI from Michael Barnes and Bradley Knoblock. Carroll then tied the score in the third, before taking the lead with two more in the fourth. Ripon would cut that lead to one in the bottom of the fourth on another RBI from Barnes, and they would tie the score in the fifth on an RBI single off the bat of Josh Oswald.

The game continued to see-saw back and forth in the sixth, which saw Carroll score three times, before Ripon added five runs on two hits and two Pioneer errors in the bottom of that frame, which included a three-run home run by Nick Schmitt, which gives him six on the season and 21 for his career, ranking seventh in school history.

Ripon added another run on an RBI single by Nick Kita in the seventh and would take a 10-7 lead into the ninth before Carroll once again mounted a comeback. The Pioneers scored three runs on two hits and one error, scoring the tying run with two outs to force extra innings.

Three innings later, Ripon put the game away with one out in the bottom of the 12th when Kita doubled to left center, driving in Cullen Oren for the walk-off win.

The Red Hawks finished with 12 hits with three coming from Kita, who also scored twice and drove in a pair of runs. Matt Hecht (1-4) earned the victory, allowing just one earned run in six innings of relief.

The day's second game, which was moved to Waupun because of darkness, turned out to be much more of a pitcher's duel than game one, with Ripon never trailing en route to the 4-1 victory.

Brice Swick (2-4) pitched a gem to earn the victory, allowing one earned run on a solo home run, and giving up just two hits while striking out six in 8.1 innings of work. Ryan Maier then slammed the door for his third save of the season and fourth of his career, which is tied for third in school history.

The Red Hawks finished with four hits, with two apiece coming from Kita and Randy Finger, who also recorded a game-high two RBI.

Ripon will be in action again on Tuesday when they'll travel to Wisconsin Lutheran. That game will begin at 4 p.m. in Milwaukee, Wis.