GALESBURG, Illinois – The Ripon baseball program needed a pair of wins on Saturday and got them, taking down Knox 12-11 and 12-2 (7 innings) at Blodgett Field.
 
With Ripon (15-20, 11-11) getting the sweep it needed, Cornell splitting with Chicago and Monmouth losing twice to Lawrence, Ripon sits a half game back of Cornell for the fourth and final Midwest Conference Tournament spot. A Ripon win on Sunday, coupled with a Chicago win over Cornell, would put Ripon in the MWC Tournament – hosted by Lawrence – next week.
 
Knox (10-27, 4-19 MWC) gave the Red Hawks all they could handle in game one in one of the most entertaining contests all season. After Kaleb Burns singled and stole second in the opening frame, Nick Terrell launched his fourth home run of the season, putting Ripon up 2-0. However, Knox punched back with two runs of its own in the bottom half, knotting the game at two apiece after one.
 
Each of the first nine half innings contained runs, and Ripon retook an early lead in the second. Gabriel Zielinski and Jack Anderson led off the frame with a double and a walk respectively, before Michael Sheehy walked with one out to load the bases. Burns reached first on an error, bringing home Zielinski, as Ripon went up 3-2. The Red Hawks left the bases loaded in the inning, and the Prairie Fire cashed in big in the bottom half. Five runs scored, though Ripon surrendered just two hits – two walks and an error also contributed to Knox's big inning as the hosts led 7-3.
 
Ripon inched closer in the third, plating three. Zielinski singled home Nick Tenny with one out before Anderson hit his second home run of the season – a two-run shot – to bring Ripon within one. Knox got one right back in the bottom half on a solo home run as the ball was jumping off the bat on Saturday.
 
The Red Hawks pushed in front in the top of the fourth with three more runs. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Tenny brought home a run on a single before Zielinski walked with the bases loaded to tie it up. One batter later, Anderson continued his hot afternoon with an RBI single, giving Ripon a slim 9-8 advantage. However, it would be short lived – a two-run shot by Knox in the bottom of the fourth put the Prairie Fire up 10-9 through four complete.
 
Ripon scored its final runs of the day in the fifth, going ahead for good with a three-run inning. With runners at second and third and no one out, Kyler Hickman brought home Alex Pankratz on a sacrifice fly to tie the game. Tenny was up next and laced an RBI triple for the go-ahead run. Then, he scored on a wild pitch as the Red Hawks led 12-10 with half the game yet to be played.
 
Each team's pitchers settled down from there as the squads went through the middle innings without any further runs. A sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh cut Knox's deficit in half, but Ripon reliever Orion Rieden got a flyout to end the inning.
 
The Prairie Fire had a pair of runners on base with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but Ripon closer Brock Turkington picked up his third save of the season with a strikeout to end the game.

Tenny had a monster day at the plate, going 4-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. Terrell also had a three-hit game as the senior was 3-for-6 with two RBI and three runs scored. Zielinski (2-for-4, two RBI, two runs, two walks) and Anderson (2-for-4, HR, three RBI, run, walk) contributed multi-hit outings as well.
 
On the mound, Brandon Peace picked up his second win of the season. The senior threw 2.0 innings in relief, giving up just one hit while striking out four.
 
The Prairie Fire struck first in game two, connecting on an RBI single in the bottom of the first, but that would be the only offense they could muster until Ripon surged ahead. In the top of the second, Anderson singled home Hickman and, two batters later, Anderson and Sheehy teamed up for a double steal to put Ripon in front for good.
 
Ripon broke the game open in the fifth, scoring four times. After Anderson led off the inning with a single, Owen Gerhardt doubled him home to double Ripon's lead. After a single and stolen base by Burns, Pankratz scored a pair with a single and the Red Hawks were in front 5-1. Following two stolen bases by Pankratz, Terrell produced a run on a groundout as the Red Hawks scored four times with less than two outs.
 
Two more runs came home in the sixth on an Anderson home run, his second of the day and third of the season, putting Ripon firmly in the driver's seat up 8-1 with a handful of outs still to get.
 
Ripon put the throttle down in the seventh, scoring three more times. Pankratz homered with one out in the inning, and the hit parade was on after that. Five consecutive singles by Terrell, Hickman, Tenny, Zielinski and Anderson put the Red Hawks in front 12-1 with just one out in the seventh inning.
 
Knox got one back in the bottom of the seventh on a sacrifice fly, but pitcher Orion Rieden shut the door from there to give Ripon its sixth-straight win.
 
Offensively, Anderson went a perfect 4-for-4, driving home four and scoring three times. Zielinski was 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, while Pankratz also had a multi-hit effort (2-for-4, three RBI, two runs). Burns (1-for-4, run), Terrell (1-for-4, RBI, run), Hickman (1-for-3, two runs, walk), Tenny (1-for-4, RBI, run), Sheehy (1-for-4) and Gerhardt (1-for-4, RBI, run) all contributed to the 15-hit barrage by Ripon.
 
On the mound, starter Mitchell Lukasik threw 6.1 innings. He gave up just six hits and two earned runs while striking out six, picking up his second win of the season.
 
NEXT UP: Ripon finishes its series at Knox on Sunday (May 5) with a single game beginning at noon.
 
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