DE PERE - St. Norbert College swept Ripon College in a Midwest Conference North Division doubleheader thanks to a pair of late rallies in wins of 15-13 and 7-5 at Van Alstine Field at Mel Nicks Sports Complex.
The Green Knights scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh in the opener to snap an 11-11 tie, and then scored three runs in the seventh and one run in the eighth to rebound from a 5-3 deficit in the nightcap.
In a wild but generally well-played opener, both teams took advantage of a wind howling straight out to combined for eight home runs and 17 extra-base hits. Ripon hit six home runs but the Green Knights' two were well-timed.
Ripon scored three times in the first inning before St. Norbert answered with a pair of runs in its half on a
Nick Volz sacrifice fly and a
Peyton Jack run-scoring single. The Red Hawks scored twice in the second and once in the third to take a 6-2 lead, but the Green Knights responded with seven runs in the third inning. Volz had an RBI single and
Christian Jack hit a booming grand slam straight out to center field to knot the score 7-7.
Caden Uhlenbrauck and
Jack Maastricht followed with an RBI double and RBI single, respectively, for a 9-7 edge.
St. Norbert added single runs in the next two innings,
Christian Jack posting a run-scoring single in the fourth and
Adam Cootway an RBI single in the fifth. Ripon would get back into the game with a five-run seventh inning thanks to three home runs, but St. Norbert bounced after the stretch. Cootway hit a two-run home run to right field to push St. Norbert ahead 13-11, while
Isaac Gerhardt hit a two-run single for a 15-11 lead. Ripon would score two runs in the eighth and would put a pair of runners on base in the ninth, but St. Norbert held on for the win.
St. Norbert had 21 hits, with Maastricht going 5-for-5 with a pair of doubles and three runs scored - tying a school record for hits in a game and the first player in four years to accomplish the feat. Cootway was 4-for-4 with four runs scored and three runs batted in, while
Christian Jack was 3-for-4 with five runs batted in.
Lucas Reynolds was 2-for-4 with a double and triple, while Gerhardt was 2-for-5 with two runs batted in.
Noah Lindsley earned the win in relief, allowing two runs on four hits in three innings pitched. St. Norbert did not walk a batter.
In the nightcap, St. Norbert scored three times in the bottom of the seventh to push ahead 6-5. Two runs scored on a misplayed ball hit to the outfield with two outs, and while
Jacob Rajkovich followed with a run-scoring single. Volz had a sacrifice fly in the eighth for an insurance run. Ripon went down in order in the top of the ninth inning.
St. Norbert got a run in the first on a
Peyton Jack grounder. After Ripon scored in the second inning, the Green Knights got the run back on a Volz run-scoring single. Rajkovich then added an RBI double in the third inning for a 3-1 lead. That score would hold up until Ripon scored four times in the sixth inning.
Reynolds was 3-for-5 with two runs scored, while Rajkovich was 2-for-3 with two runs batted in. Noah Beifuss earned the win with two innings of relief, allowing three hits with one walk and three strikeouts.
Nick Brauer worked the ninth inning to earn the save.
