RIPON, Wisconsin – Kaleb Burns of the Ripon baseball program hit the go-ahead triple in the bottom of the seventh inning on Sunday afternoon as the Red Hawks defeated Cornell 11-9 to cap off a wild, Midwest Conference weekend series at Francis Field.
 
In a series that featured 53 runs, 27 errors and two games won by Ripon when trailing by four runs, the margin of victory between the teams was five runs combined throughout three games.
 
Cornell (13-13, 4-8 MWC) struck first in the opening frame, putting up a four-spot with the help of three hits and two Ripon errors. Ripon countered in the bottom half of the second – with runners on first and second and two outs, Michael Sheehy reached on an error to plate Gabriel Zielinski. However, Ripon (8-14, 5-6 MWC) stranded runners at the corners to end the inning.
 
The Rams got the run right back in the top of the third, blasting a solo homer to lead off the inning.
 
Ripon again got something going in the bottom of the third. After Alex Pankratz singled, stole second and Nick Terrell walked, Jack Anderson reached on an error to score Pankratz. Then, Anderson and Terrell executed a double steal to bring home another run. With the bases loaded, Erik Frafjord produced a run on a sacrifice fly, though Ripon was doubled up on the bases to end the inning. Still, the Red Hawks trailed just 5-4 after three.
 
Cornell rallied in the top of the fourth, starting the inning with a pair of singles to put runners at the corners. The Rams doubled their lead with a sacrifice fly and added to it with an RBI single moments later.
 
Back-to-back singles in the bottom of the fourth put Ripon in motion, and a sacrifice bunt by Burns moved both runners into scoring position. Pankratz brought in a run with a sacrifice fly and, with two outs, Terrell tripled and scored on a little league home run to even the game at seven apiece.
 
The Rams continued to put pressure on Ripon in the top of the sixth, putting runners at second and third with one out. A bloop single gave Cornell its first lead since the fourth and a sacrifice fly the next at-bat pushed the lead to 9-7.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, Hickman was hit by a pitch and Zielinski doubled to lead off the inning, putting the tying run at second with nobody out. Brock Peterson drove in a run on a groundout and, with runners at second and third moments later, Burns tripled to the deepest part of the park to put Ripon in front for good.
 
Terrell added a big insurance run in the same inning, singling with two outs as Ripon headed into the eighth with an 11-9 lead that held up for the final two innings.
 
Brock Turkington recorded his first save of the season, tossing a scoreless ninth inning to preserve the Ripon win. The save -- number eight for his career -- broke the program record for career saves.
 
Offensively, Pankratz went a perfect 3-for-3 at the dish, scoring once and driving home a run. Burns (2-for-4, 2 RBI, run), Terrell (2-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 run, walk) and Zielinski (2-for-4, 2 run, walk) also had multi-hit days.
 
On the mound, starter Mitchell Lukasik pitched 5.1 innings and got a no-decision, surrendering 10 hits and five earned runs. He also punched out five.
 
Dawson Selvoski picked up the win – his second of the season – throwing 1.1 innings in relief while surrendering just one hit. In five appearances this season totaling eight innings, he has yielded just four hits.
 
NEXT UP: Ripon remains home to host Chicago for a doubleheader on Tuesday (April 16) beginning at 1 p.m.
 
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