FRANKLIN, Ind. -- Ripon baseball wrapped up its weekend in Indiana with a pair of tightly contested games, falling 8-7 to Benedictine University on Saturday morning before dropping a 10-8 decision to Franklin College in the afternoon at Center Grove High School.
Game One
The Red Hawks (0-6) showed early firepower in game one against Benedictine, erupting for four runs in the top of the first inning. Junior Crete Slattery (Lake Geneva, Wis., Badger HS) jumpstarted the offense with an RBI double to right, and freshman Raidan Shibayama (Honolulu, Hawaii, Punahou School) followed with a run-scoring groundout. Freshman Nolan Hollander (Crystal Lake, Ill., Crystal Lake Central) capped the inning with a two-run single to left center as Ripon took a 4-0 lead.
Ripon added another run in the second when senior Jack Anderson (Oconomowoc, Wis., Oconomowoc HS) reached on an error, allowing senior Alex Pankratz (Waupaca, Wis., Waupaca HS) to score and extend the advantage to 5-0. Freshman Griffin Jens (New London, Wis., Hortonville HS) kept Benedictine in check through five innings, allowing three runs (two earned) while striking out four.
The Eagles chipped away beginning in the fourth and used a three-run sixth inning, aided by defensive miscues, to take a 6-5 lead. Ripon committed five errors in the game, and four of Benedictine's eight runs were unearned.
The Red Hawks battled back in the ninth. Slattery delivered again with an RBI single to tie the game at 6-6, and freshman Trey Page (Land O Lakes, Fla., Land O Lakes HS) followed with a go-ahead RBI double to right field to put Ripon in front 7-6. However, Benedictine answered in the bottom half with a two-run home run to walk it off, handing the Red Hawks a tough one-run loss.
Slattery finished 2-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored, while Shibayama added two hits and Hollander drove in a pair. Pankratz crossed the plate three times and swiped two bases in the effort.
Game Two
In the second game of the day, Ripon once again flashed its offensive potential, building an early lead against Franklin. After tying the game in the third on a passed ball, Slattery launched a three-run homer to left center to give the Red Hawks a 4-1 advantage.
Ripon extended the lead to 8-1 in the seventh inning. Page delivered an RBI single, and junior Owen Gerhardt (Greenville, Wis., Fox Valley Lutheran HS) followed with a run-scoring single that turned into a two-run play after a Franklin error. Gerhardt later scored on a wild pitch to cap the four-run frame.
Sophomore Brady Wotruba (Pulaski, Wis., Pulaski HS) was solid through six innings on the mound, but Franklin erupted for nine runs in the bottom of the seventh, stringing together timely hits and taking advantage of free passes to flip the game. A three-run homer highlighted the inning as the Grizzlies surged ahead 10-8.
The Red Hawks threatened late but could not complete the comeback. Senior Kyler Hickman (Tracy, Calif., Merrill F. West HS) led the offense with a 3-for-3 performance and two walks, while Page and Gerhardt each tallied two hits. Slattery drove in three runs for the second straight game.
Despite the setbacks, Ripon totaled 21 hits across the two contests and continued to show resilience at the plate.
The Red Hawks will now turn their focus to their spring break trip to Auburndale, Fla. Ripon opens play there on March 14 against Ramapo College as it looks to secure its first win of the season.
