DAVENPORT, Fla. -- Ripon closed out its spring break trip in Florida on Mar 20 with a high-scoring battle, falling 20-13 to Kalamazoo in a game that featured 33 combined runs and 32 hits.

Ripon came out swinging, plating three runs in the first inning behind a two-run double from junior Crete Slattery (Lake Geneva, Wis., Badger HS) and an RBI triple by freshman Nolan Hollander (Crystal Lake, Ill., Crystal Lake Central). The Red Hawks stayed hot in the second, adding four more runs to build an early 7-1 advantage.

Slattery led the offensive charge with a huge day at the plate, going 4-for-5 with six RBIs and multiple extra-base hits. Graduate student Gabriel Kennedy (DeForest, Wis., Northwestern St. Paul) also had a standout performance, scoring four runs while reaching base multiple times, and sophomore Alex Ramus (Appleton, Wis., Appleton North HS) added two hits and two RBIs. As a team, Ripon racked up 15 hits and scored in five different innings.

Kalamazoo began to chip away in the middle innings, using a five-run third and a five-run fifth to take control. Despite that, Ripon answered in the seventh with four runs to briefly reclaim an 11-10 lead.

The momentum quickly shifted in the bottom half, however, as Kalamazoo erupted for nine runs in the seventh inning to regain the lead for good. Ripon added two more runs in the eighth but couldn't close the gap.

On the mound, Ripon used multiple pitchers in the contest, with freshman Griffin Jens (New London, Wis., Hortonville HS) getting the start before a series of relievers worked through the later innings.

The loss wraps up Ripon's spring trip in Florida, where the team showed offensive firepower throughout the week. The Red Hawks will return to action on Saturday, Mar 28-29, when they travel to Monmouth for a three game weekend.