DAVENPORT, Fla. -- A fast start wasn't enough for the Ripon Red Hawks on Thursday, as UW-Stout Blue Devils rallied late for a 4-3 victory in Davenport.

Ripon struck quickly in the top of the first inning. Junior Crete Slattery (Lake Geneva, Wis., Badger HS) delivered the big swing with a two-run double to right field that brought home graduate student Gabriel Kennedy (DeForest, Wis., Northwestern St. Paul) and senior Kyler Hickman (Tracy, Calif., Merrill F. West HS), and freshman Nolan Hollander (Crystal Lake, Ill., Crystal Lake Central) followed with an RBI single to make it 3-0 before Wis.-Stout could record the third out. ⚾️

The Red Hawks continued to generate offense throughout the afternoon, finishing with 11 hits, but couldn't add to the early lead. Hollander paced the lineup with three hits, while Hickman and sophomore Alex Ramus (Appleton, Wis., Appleton North HS) each added two-hit performances. Ripon also collected five doubles in the game, but left eight runners on base and was unable to capitalize on several scoring chances.

On the mound, junior Matt Miller (Orland Park, Ill., Carl Sandburg HS) turned in a strong start for Ripon. The right-hander worked 6.1 innings and allowed just one unearned run while scattering five hits and striking out three. The Blue Devils didn't push across their first run until the third inning and trailed 3-1 heading into the late innings.

UW-Stout broke through in the eighth with back-to-back solo home runs to tie the game, and then completed the comeback in the ninth with an RBI single to take a 4-3 lead. Ripon had a chance in the final frame but could not mount a rally as the Blue Devils secured the win.

The Red Hawks fall to 1-11 on the season and will wrap up their spring trip in Florida tomorrow morning with their final game, scheduled for 10am.