GRINNELL, Iowa – The Ripon baseball program overcame a five-run deficit – and a four-run, ninth-inning hole – to stun Grinnell 14-11 in game two of Saturday's doubleheader at Pioneer Park.
In game one, Grinnell rallied to post a 4-3 win in 10 innings.
Ripon (14-19, 7-8 MWC) fell into an early 1-0 hole in game one as Grinnell (19-16, 7-9 MWC) struck first in the bottom of the second with an RBI double. However, Ripon responded in the top of the third as a two-out, RBI single by
Kyler Hickman scored
Jack Anderson to even the score.
The Red Hawks went in front in the top of the fourth, as
Brock Peterson recorded a sacrifice fly to score
Chase Hanselman. The lead was doubled in the top of the sixth, as
Eli DiCarlo provided insurance with a one out, RBI double to plate Peterson.
The Pioneers evened the score with a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth. A one-out, RBI single and a sacrifice fly tied the game at three, though Ripon reliever
Orion Rieden stranded a runner on third to end the inning. Ripon had a chance to go in front in the ninth – putting the go-ahead runner on third – but a lineout ended the threat.
Grinnell loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the tenth against Rieden, and with one out, an RBI single by Mac McCain gave the hosts the 4-3 win in extra innings.
Jason Clark was the only Red Hawk with multiple hits as the graduate student went 2-for-5. Anderson (1x5, run),
Evan Olson (1x5), Hickman (1x4, RBI, walk),
Alex Pankratz (1x4, walk), Peterson (1x3, RBI, run) and DiCarlo (1x3, RBI, walk) also had base hits.
Blaine Wahlen was outstanding on the mound, though he suffered the tough-luck loss. Throwing 7.1 innings, he allowed just three earned runs and eight hits.
Game two was scoreless until the fourth, when a two-out, RBI single by Peterson gave Ripon the 1-0 lead. A solo homer by Grinnell in the bottom of the fifth evened the score, but the teams combined for seven runs in the sixth inning. The Red Hawks briefly took a 2-1 lead after another run-scoring single by Peterson, but the Pioneers punched back with six runs in the bottom half of the inning, earning a 7-2 lead.
The lead did not last long. An RBI double by Anderson and an RBI single by Hickman brought Ripon within 7-4, and two batters later a Grinnell error scored Hickman to make the score 7-5. Then, a balk plated Pankratz and a sacrifice fly by
Gabriel Zielinski tied the game at seven after six and a half innings.
Grinnell loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the eighth and scored four runs to go in front 11-7.
However, the Red Hawks made a closing statement in the ninth. Putting the first two runners on base, Pankratz singled home Anderson to close the gap with nobody out. The Red Hawks had the bases loaded with nobody out, and a wild pitch brought home another run. Two batters later, Peterson delivered the crushing blow – a bases-clearing double gave Ripon the 12-11 lead. Still, Ripon was not done – an RBI single by Clark and a sacrifice fly by Anderson padded the Red Hawk lead to three with three outs still to get.
David Neal Hickman picked up the win, tossing a perfect ninth to secure the win for Ripon.
Peterson was 3-for-5 with 5 RBI and a run scored, while Clark (3x6, RBI) and Pankratz (3x6, RBI, 3 runs) also had three-hit games. Hickman (2x5, RBI, walk, 2 runs) and Hanselman (2x4, 3 runs, walk) contributed multi-hit outings as well as Ripon pounded out 16 hits.
Mitchell Lukasik got the start on the mound, taking the no-decision. He pitched 5.1 innings, allowing eight hits and six earned runs. Hickman tossed the final 2+ innings, giving up three hits and just one earned run.
NEXT UP: Ripon closes its series at Grinnell on Sunday, April 27 with a single game beginning at noon.
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