MONMOUTH, Ill. - Ripon's baseball team started their 2022 conference schedule out on the right note Sunday afternoon, with a pair of road wins against Monmouth College. The Red Hawks scored three runs in the top of the ninth of game one to win 8-5, before winning the nightcap in a pitcher's duel, 2-1.

Despite the wins, it was Monmouth (6-9, 0-2 MWC) which struck first, scoring once in the bottom of the second of the first game. Ripon (6-5, 2-0 MWC) would tie things up in the fourth when Sam Ott scored on a balk, before Brock Warren crossed the plate on a Monmouth error to give the Red Hawks the lead. After Monmouth tied things up in the bottom of that inning, Kaleb Burns gave Ripon the lead again on an RBI double in the sixth, before later scoring on a wild pitch. Nick Tenny would tack on another Ripon run in the eighth on a sac fly, but Monmouth tied the score at five in the bottom of that inning. The Red Hawks kept coming however, scoring three runs in the top of the ninth, scoring on an RBI single off the bat of Cam Stampfl and on a pair of wild pitches.

Jake Pankratz then slammed the door on Monmouth in the bottom of the ninth to earn the victory, allowing just one hit in 1.2 innings of scoreless relief. Burns, Ott, and Cormac Madigan each recorded two hits, with eight different Red Hawks scoring a run in the contest.

In the day's second game, Ripon recorded just three hits, with two coming in the top of the first, including an RBI single by Ott. Monmouth tied things up with a run in the third. That tie lasted until the top of the eighth when Burns scored the go-ahead run on a Monmouth fielding error.

Mitchell Lukasik (2-0) hurled a gem, scattering six hits without allowing an earned run and striking out two batters. Caleb Green recorded his first career save, allowing just two hits in two scoreless innings.

These two teams will be back on the field Monday for a single game in Monmouth, Ill. at 11 a.m. That game can be see live at https://portal.stretchinternet.com/ripon/.