RIPON, Wisconsin – The Ripon baseball program began a critical stretch of games in the last week of the regular season on Monday, sweeping a doubleheader from Grinnell at Francis Field.
 
Ripon (11-20, 8-11 MWC) used a seventh-inning surge in game one to defeat the Pioneers 7-5 and rallied from a three-run deficit in game two to post a 10-3 victory over Grinnell (14-22, 7-13 MWC) in the nightcap.
 
Ripon struck first in game one as Kyler Hickman homered with two outs in the bottom of the first, scoring himself and Kaleb Burns, to put the Red Hawks in front. The lead was doubled in the next inning – Michael Sheehy doubled home Gabriel Zielinski and Zach Albrent to increase Ripon's advantage to four.
 
Nick Tenny scored Nick Terrell on an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth and Ripon was up 5-0 with four innings to go.
 
However, Grinnell pushed back in a big way. The Pioneers scored five times in the seventh – punctuated by a three-run home run – to tie the game, chasing Ripon starter Blaine Wahlen in the process.
 
Ripon would not be denied in the bottom half of the seventh and took the lead right back. With two outs and two on, a pinch-hit, game-winning double by Crete Slattery put the Red Hawks in front for good, 7-5.
 
Grinnell put runners at first and second with one out in the ninth, but closer Brock Turkington induced a game-ending double play to preserve the Ripon win.
 
Hickman had a three-hit day, going 3-for-5 with a home run, a pair of RBI and two runs scored. Tenny was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a walk, while Alex Pankratz (1-for-5), Burns (1-for-5, run), Eli DiCarlo (1-for-2), Slattery (1-for-1, 2 RBI) and Sheehy (1-for-4, 2 RBI) all recorded base hits.
 
Wahlen started on the mound and went 6.1 innings, giving up five hits and three earned runs. He also struck out seven – his seventh consecutive start with at least six punchouts.
 
In game two, Grinnell took the momentum early, plating one in the first and two in the third to lead 3-0. However, that would be the last runs of the day for the Pioneers, who were playing their fifth game in the last three days. Zielinski reached on a fielder's choice in the bottom of the fourth to get Ripon on the board, and a two-run, two-out single by Pankratz in the sixth tied the game at three apiece.
 
For the second time in a seventh inning on Monday, Ripon collected a go-ahead, pinch-hit base knock in a tie game. With the bases loaded and two outs, Erik Frafjord drove home Tenny and Hickman on a base hit, giving Ripon a 5-3 advantage through seven innings.
 
The offense continued in the eighth. After Pankratz led off the inning with a single, Burns homered to left to break the game open. Moments later, Terrell scored on a wild pitch and Tenny joined the home run party with a solo shot to put Ripon up 9-3. With two outs in the inning, Brady Wotruba doubled home Jack Anderson and the Red Hawks made a statement, scoring five times in the frame and putting the game out of reach.
 
Ripon reliever Rex Bayer got a game-ending strikeout with the bases loaded as Ripon won its second straight game.
 
Pankratz had three hits in the game, going 3-for-6 with two RBI and a run scored. Burns (2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI, run), Tenny (2-for-5, HR, RBI, 2 run), Frafjord (2-for-2, 2 RBI) and Anderson (2-for-4, 2 run, walk) all had multi-hit games as well.
 
Mitchell Lukasik got the start, pitching 3.0 innings while giving up six hits and three earned runs. Brett Tetzlaff picked up the win in relief, his first of the season, after tossing two innings of three-hit ball.
 
NEXT UP: Ripon has a quick turnaround, visiting UW-Stevens Point on Tuesday, April 30 at 3 p.m.
 
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