AUBURNDALE, Florida – Playing its fifth game in just over 48 hours, the Ripon baseball program dropped a 10-8 decision to Rutgers-Camden on Monday afternoon at Lake Myrtle Park.
Ripon (3-6) wasted little time getting on the board. In the opening frame with two outs,
Kyler Hickman doubled home
Owen Gerhardt and the Red Hawks took a 1-0 lead. Rutgers-Camden (11-2) scored once in the bottom half on a two-out single, but Ripon reclaimed the lead in the second after
Jason Clark singled home
Chase Hanselman. Unfortunately for Ripon, the Scarlet Raptors scored four times in the bottom of the second to lead 5-2.
The Red Hawks got two back in the third. After loading the bases with nobody out, Hickman reached on a fielder's choice to score Gerhardt for the second time. Then,
Brock Warren scored on a wild pitch as Ripon inched closer.
The rally was short lived as a two-run triple by the opposition in the third opened up a 7-4 edge for Camden. However, Ripon returned the favor in the fourth. Loading the bases with nobody out for the second consecutive inning, Gerhardt produced a run on a sacrifice fly. Two batters later, another run scored when
Jack Anderson drew a bases-loaded walk. Then,
Alex Pankratz came home on a wild pitch to tie the game at seven. Ripon took its third lead of the early going when Warren stole home on a double steal, though a runner was stranded at second to end the inning.
Rutgers-Camden pulled back in front for good with a three-run sixth inning, taking a 10-8 lead into the late innings. Ripon was unable to scratch anything across in the final three frames, suffering the two-run loss.
Clark had a standout day at the plate, going 3-for-4 with an RBI.
Michael Sheehy also had a two-hit day (2x4, run) while Gerhardt, Warren, Hickman, Hanselman and
David Kleier all recorded base hits.
Caleb Mammoser got the start on the mound for Ripon, taking the loss. He went 5.0 innings, allowing seven hits and nine earned runs across 99 pitches.
NEXT UP: Ripon squares off against UW-La Crosse at 1:45 p.m. CT on Wednesday (March 19).
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