RIPON, Wis. - Ripon fell to St. Norbert in both games of Sunday's doubleheader, losing the first game 13-1 in seven innings, before losing a thriller 9-7 in 10 innings in the nightcap.
Ripon managed just three hits in the first game, as Tommy Maher spun a complete game for the Green Knights. Two of the Red Hawks' hits came from
Dane O'Donnell, while
Jake Pankratz recorded the other with his third double of the season, while also scoring the team's only run.
Game two saw St. Norbert strike first once again with a run in the top of the opening inning. Ripon tied the game in the bottom of the second on an RBI single by
Evan Barbian. The Red Hawks took their first lead of the day in the fourth when Pankratz scored from third on a fielder's choice. He would drive in another run in the following inning on his fourth double of the year, which allowed
Andrew Betcher to score. The Red Hawks added three more runs in the seventh, coming on a two-run single by
Nick Terrell and a solo home run from
Keegan Johnston, his seventh long-ball of the season, to give Ripon a 6-1 lead.
That lead vanished in the top of the eighth, which saw St. Norbert score six runs on five hits, scoring on a two-run single and two-run double, while also crossing the plate on an RBI single and a bases-loaded hit by pitch.
Entering the final inning with a one-run deficit, Ripon rallied with one run on three hits in the bottom of the ninth, tying the score on an RBI single by Pankratz. St. Norbert then ended things in extra innings, scoring runs on an RBI double and a throwing error in the top of the 10th.
Ripon out-hit St. Norbert 12-9 in the game. Pankratz led the way with a 3-for-5 performance at the plate, driving in two runs and scoring another, while also striking out four batters in five innings of relief on the mound. Terrell, Johnston, and O'Donnell added two hits apiece.
The Red Hawks will be in action again on Wednesday when they'll host the University of Chicago in a doubleheader beginning at Noon. Those games can be seen live at https://portal.stretchinternet.com/ripon/, with LiveStats available at https://static.riponredhawks.com/custompages/LiveStats/Baseball/xlive.htm.