CAROL STREAM, Illinois – The Ripon baseball program opened its 2025 campaign with a resounding sweep, defeating North Central (Ill.) 20-8 and 19-13 at Lee Pfund Stadium on Friday.
 
With two wins on Friday, head coach Eric Cruise has now won 200 games as head coach of the Red Hawks. He stands as the third-winningest coach in program history.
 
Ripon (2-0) wasted zero time putting runs on the board early against North Central (1-4). Chase Hanselman singled and stole second before Alex Pankratz was hit by a pitch. Then, Brock Warren singled to put the Red Hawks on the board. After Jason Clark grounded out to put runners at second and third, Evan Olson added another run with a two-out RBI single. Ripon left runners on the corners but scored two in the opening half inning.
 
However, NCC roared back in the bottom half. A two-run triple, RBI double and RBI single – all with two outs – put the Cardinals in front 4-2 after an eventful first inning that featured six runs and nine hits between the teams.
 
Hanselman cut the deficit in half, lacing a two-out home run in the top of the second. Trailing 4-3, Ripon put runners at the corners with one out in the fourth, though a caught stealing and a strikeout ended the threat.
 
The Red Hawks finally broke through in the fifth. After the first two hitters were retired, Warren reached on an error and stole second. Then, Clark reached on a second consecutive throwing error by the shortstop, scoring Warren and knotting the score at four apiece. Olson connected on the big hit the ensuing at-bat, homering and putting Ripon in front 6-4 after a trio of two-out runs.
 
Ripon continued its big inning with an RBI single from Gabriel Zielinski. All told, the Red Hawks led 7-4 after four and a half thanks to a four-run, five-hit frame.
 
The Red Hawks continued to pour it on in the sixth. Alex Pankratz tripled to open the inning before Warren crushed a two-run homer to right, opening up a 9-4 Ripon lead. With two on and two out, another NCC error hurt the Cardinals – an error by the right fielder brought home Jack Anderson and Olson as Ripon put together another four-run inning.
 
The Cardinals got three runs back in the bottom of the sixth to shrink Ripon's advantage to 11-7. Still, Ripon's two-out hitting continued in the seventh. Olson tripled home Warren and Pankratz to open up a 13-7 lead.
 
Warren walked in a run with the bases loaded in the eighth, but Ripon left them loaded to end the inning. Six more runs crossed in the ninth – Brock Peterson singled home another, Hanselman walked with the bases loaded, Pankratz cleared the bases with a double and Remington Cox had an RBI single to finish out the Ripon scoring.
 
The Red Hawks allowed just one run in the ninth to take their first game of the season.
 
Olson had a monster day at the plate, going 4-for-6 with 5 RBI, a home run, 3 runs scored and a stolen base in his first game since 2023. Warren was 3-for-5 with a home run, 4 RBI, 4 runs scored, a walk and a stolen base. Hanselman (2x5, HR, 2 RBI, 3 runs, 2 walks, stolen base), Hickman (2x4, walk, 2 runs) Pankratz (2x5, 3 RBI, 3 runs, walk) and Zielinski (3x4, RBI, run, 2 walks) also had multi-hit outings.
 
Ripon starter Blaine Wahlen picked up the win on the mound. He threw 5+ innings, surrendering seven hits, five runs (all earned) and two walks. He struck out five. Adam Mellema got his first career save, tossing four innings of work. He allowed six hits, three runs (one earned) and also struck out five.
 
As a team, the Red Hawks pounded out 21 hits – their most since April 5, 2023, when putting up 23. Ripon had six extra-base hits and took advantage of five North Central errors.
 
In game two, offense was once again the name of the game. A two-run single by Warren gave Ripon a 2-0 lead in the first, though the Cardinals answered with three of their own in the frame. Hanselman added his second homer of the day to even things in the third, but NCC again took the lead in the bottom half on an RBI single.
 
The fourth inning produced 12 runs, and seven by Ripon. Consecutive walks with the bases loaded by Peterson and Hanselman, followed by a Pankratz sacrifice fly, put Ripon in front 6-4 with only one out. Then, Warren produced an RBI groundout and Hanselman scored on a wild pitch to double the lead. Zielinski singled home Olson and David Kleier reached on a fielding error as the Red Hawks led 10-4 after their half of the inning – though the Cardinals responded with five runs of their own in the bottom half.
 
Four more Ripon runs scored in the fifth. Olson reached on a fielding error, Zielinski reached on a fielders' choice and Olson scored on a wild pitch before Owen Gerhardt added another run on an RBI single. North Central would not go away, using two extra-base hits in the bottom of the fifth to pull within 14-12.
 
A Pankratz RBI single and an NCC fielding error produced two more Red Hawk runs in the top of the sixth, and the opposition only got one run back in the seventh as Ripon took a 16-13 lead into the eighth.
 
 To put the cherry on top, Hanselman added a three-run homer in the eighth to pad Ripon's lead. Orion Rieden struck out the final two batters of the game to cap off the Red Hawks' sweep.
 
Hanselman was a sparkling 4-for-5 with two home runs, 5 RBI, 6 runs scored and a walk. Pankratz went 2-for-3 with 2 RBI, 2 runs scored and a walk, while Warren was 2-for-5 with 4 RBI. Zielinski (2x5, 2 RBI, 2 runs) and Peterson (2x4, RBI, 3 runs, walk) also had multi-hit affairs.
 
On the mound, Mitchell Lukasik got the start and went 3.2 innings. He gave up 13 hits, nine runs (seven earned) and walked two. Caleb Mammoser got the win, tossing 2.2 innings worth of relief. He allowed five hits, four runs (all earned) and struck out three.
 
Ripon was outhit 20-16, but North Central had more errors (3 to 2).
 
NEXT UP: Ripon is next scheduled to play at Carroll on Saturday, March 8. The doubleheader between the Red Hawks and Pioneers will begin at noon.
 
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