DAVENPORT, Florida – Facing one of the top programs in the country, the Ripon baseball program fell behind three runs early and was unable to even the score in a 7-3 loss to #16/19 UW-La Crosse on Wednesday afternoon at NorthEast Regional Park.
After Ripon (3-7) went down in order in the opening half inning, La Crosse (4-2) put up three runs via an RBI double and a two-run homer. The Red Hawks entered the hit column in the fourth, and put two runners on base with one out. With two outs,
Jason Clark drove home both
Jack Anderson and
Kyler Hickman on a double to bring Ripon within a run.
The Eagles doubled their lead with a solo home run in the fourth, but Ripon pitcher
Michael Sheehy stranded two runners to end the frame. The Red Hawks got the run right back in the top of the fifth on a
Brock Warren RBI groundout which scored
Eli DiCarlo.
La Crosse again gave itself some cushion, scoring one run in seventh and two in the eighth to lead 7-3. Ripon was unable to score in its final four frames, falling to UW-La Crosse in Florida for the second consecutive season.
Ripon mustered just four hits in the contest, as
Owen Gerhardt, Anderson, Hickman and Clark all recorded one apiece.
Sheehy got the start and took the loss on the mound, pitching 7.1 innings. He allowed 11 hits, seven runs (five earned) and struck out three without walking one.
NEXT UP: Ripon plays Maritime College at 10 a.m. CT on Thursday, March 20.
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