AUBURNDALE, Florida – The Ripon baseball program dropped both games of a doubleheader on Saturday at Lake Myrtle Park, falling to Ramapo 7-1 before William Paterson defeated the Red Hawks 12-6.
 
In game one, both teams produced scoreless first and second innings, but Ripon (2-4) broke through in the third. Owen Gerhardt walked and stole both second and third, and with two outs, Brock Warren singled him home to give Ripon an early advantage.
 
Ramapo (6-2) pushed back in the sixth to tie the game after Blaine Wahlen recorded a trio of three-up, three-down innings from the third through the fifth. After the Roadrunners evened the score, Wahlen stranded the go-ahead run at third to preserve the tie. Unfortunately, Ramapo gained control with a six-spot in the eighth. An RBI single, a sacrifice fly, another RBI single and a three-run homer gave the opposition control with six outs to play.
 
Ripon could not produce a baserunner in the final two innings and dropped its first game of the day.
 
Ripon was held to just four hits, as Alex Pankratz, Warren, Jason Clark and Jack Anderson each recorded base knocks. On the mound, Wahlen sparkled across seven innings, though he was charged with the unfortunate loss. He allowed just five hits, four earned runs and struck out four.
 
In game two, William Paterson (8-3) pounced on Ripon with three runs in the bottom of the second, using back-to-back doubles to get on the board against Ripon starter Adam Mellema. The Pioneers added another in the fourth on a solo home run, and took a 6-0 lead into the sixth inning after two more runs in the bottom of the fifth.
 
However, Ripon found life in the sixth. Kyler Hickman singled home Chase Hanselman, and Alex Ramus and Anderson produced consecutive RBI singles to cut Ripon's deficit in half. However, the rally was short-lived as William Paterson scored five more times on four hits in the bottom half of the sixth.
 
Ripon scored three runs in the top of the eighth to stay in it. David Kleier, Hanselman and Pankratz all walked runs in with the bases loaded, though a bases-loaded flyout ended the threat. The Pioneers scored once more in the eighth, and though the Red Hawks put two runners on base in the ninth, a flyout ended the game.
 
Hickman went 2-for-4 with an RBI, run scored and a walk, while Ramus was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored off the bench. Hanselman, Pankratz, Anderson, Bailey Schepp and Gerhardt also had base hits.
 
Mellema took the loss in his first career start, throwing four innings. He allowed four hits, five runs (four earned) and struck out four. Brett Tetzlaff, Antonio DeBartolo and Jacob Riddick combined to work four innings of relief.
 
Ripon was out-hit 11-9, and had two errors to William Paterson's zero.
 
NEXT UP: Ripon plays another doubleheader on Sunday, March 16. The Red Hawks first take on Southern Maine at 9 a.m. CT before facing SUNY Brockport at 12:30 p.m. CT.
 
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