JACKSONVILLE, Illinois – The Ripon baseball program needed a big Saturday and got it as the Red Hawks took both games from Illinois College at Joe Brooks Field to win their first Midwest Conference series of the season.
 
In the opener, Ripon rallied from a three-run deficit to beat the Blueboys 7-5. To win the series and close out the weekend, the Red Hawks registered a statement 15-5 victory in seven innings.
 
In the opening game of the day, Illinois College (15-10, 2-7 MWC) started the scoring in the top of the second. With the bases loaded and nobody out, a sacrifice fly got IC on the board. Two batters later, a bases loaded walk brought home another run to put Ripon (6-10, 3-3 MWC) in an early, but manageable, hole.
 
The Blueboys tacked on to their lead in the top of the fourth, utilizing a double steal with runners at the corners to bring home another run.
 
Ripon countered in the bottom half of the inning in a big way. After Nick Tenny and Nick Terrell opened the inning with back-to-back walks, Jack Anderson helped Ripon's cause with a two-run double to put Ripon right back in the game. The next at-bat, Gabriel Zielinski doubled home Anderson and the Red Hawks evened the score. With two outs in the inning, Michael Sheehy reached on an error which allowed Zielinski to score and Ripon grabbed its first lead of the day.
 
IC tied the game up in the top of the fifth – aided by three Ripon errors in the inning – as the teams continued on in the middle innings deadlocked at four apiece.
 
The tie didn't last long though. In the bottom of the sixth, Zielinski worked himself into scoring position via a single and a stolen base before Sheehy drove him home on an RBI single. The next hitter, Alex Pankratz, doubled home Sheehy for an important Red Hawk insurance run. A third run came in as Pankratz stole third and scored on a wild pitch as Ripon led 7-4 through six complete.
 
The seesaw battle continued in the top of the seventh as IC refused to go away. An RBI single with runners at second and third scored the Blueboys' fifth run of the day, putting runners at the corners with one out. However, Dawson Selvoski induced an inning-ending, double play to preserve Ripon's two-run lead.
 
Selvoski also got an inning-ending double play in the eighth while stranding a runner on base in the ninth to give Ripon the win.
 
Zielinski had a career day at the plate. The junior recorded his first career three-hit game, going 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Anderson also put together a multi-hit outing (2-for-4, 2 RBI, run) while Pankratz (1-for-4, RBI, run, walk) and Sheehy (1-for-4, run, RBI) also had productive days at the plate.
 
On the mound, Blaine Wahlen picked up his third consecutive victory. He tossed six innings, giving up three hits and three earned runs. He also struck out eight – his third consecutive outing with at least six punchouts.
 
Selvoski picked up the first save of his career after throwing 2.2 scoreless innings of one-hit ball.
 
In the weekend finale, Ripon wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. With the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the first, both Zielinski and Crete Slattery drew walks as, similar to Friday's game, Ripon scored multiple times in the opening frame. Patience paid off for Ripon in the inning, who drew four walks in the first inning alone.
 
The bats stayed hot in the second for Ripon, who plated three more runs to open up a 5-0 advantage. With runners on second and third and two outs, Terrell scored a pair on a two-RBI single while Anderson doubled him home the next at-bat.
 
IC scored its first run of the game on an RBI groundout in the top of the third, but Ripon starter Caleb Mammoser limited the damage to just the lone run. Ripon got the run right back in the bottom half and scored two more after that  – Kaleb Burns was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Terrell doubled home two with the bases loaded as Ripon pushed its advantage to 8-1 after three innings.
 
Illinois College got four runs back in the top of the fourth, forcing a pitching change by Ripon in the process, but Brandon Peace stranded a pair of runners and got Ripon out of the inning with an 8-5 lead.
 
Ripon countered with a four-run inning of its own in the bottom of the fifth. With runners on second and third and one out, Tenny connected on a two-run double to give Ripon its ninth and tenth runs of the game. The next at-bat, Terrell homered to make it a 12-5 advantage for the Red Hawks.
 
Needing three runs to win the game early via a run-rule, an RBI single by Kyler Hickman with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh kept the line moving. Brock Peterson pinch-hit and delivered a bases-loaded walk to push Ripon's lead to 14-5, while a sacrifice fly by Sheehy wrapped up the weekend in style for the Red Hawks and gave Ripon the victory in seven innings.
 
Offensively, Terrell tied a career high with six RBI. He racked up three hits and scored twice. Tenny also had a three-hit outing, going 3-for-4 with two RBI, three runs scored and a walk. Pankratz (2-for-4, three runs, walk), Anderson (2-for-3, RBI, run, two walks) and Sheehy (2-for-4, RBI) also had multi-hit affairs.
 
On the mound, Peace picked up his first win of the season by throwing 2.1 innings of relief. He gave up just one hit.
 
NEXT UP: Ripon is scheduled to host Carthage on Tuesday (April 9) at 3 p.m.
 
FOLLOW: Follow Ripon College Red Hawks Athletics on Facebook and @RiponRedHawks on Twitter for immediate updates, results and more. Go to riponredhawks.com for all information, releases and schedules.