(Ripon, WI) - Marian University split a pair of games with Ripon College on Tuesday afternoon at Francis Field. Tim Holtz (Oshkosh, WI) hit a game-winning home run in the ninth inning and Mitchell Gardner (Sheboygan, WI) pitched eight solid innings to help give the Sabres a 7-5 victory in game one. Ripon won the nightcap 14-4 in seven innings. 

In game one, the Red Hawks scored twice in the first inning and once in the fourth to grab a 3-0 lead. Marian got on the board in the sixth as Josh Klismith (Stevens Point, WI) hit a sacrifice fly to score Holtz. The Sabres cut it to 3-2 in the top of the seventh as they took advantage of a Ripon error. 

After Ripon made it 4-2 in the bottom of the seventh, Marian scored three in the top of the eighth to grab a 5-4 lead. Chad Langley (Racine, WI) had a big two-RBI double in the inning. 

The Red Hawks had an answer in their half of the eighth as they scored with two outs. 

In the top of the ninth, Anthony Porcaro (Burlington, WI) walked to lead off the inning. Ryan Seifert (Germantown, WI) bunted him over to second to get him in scoring position. Holtz then came up and delivered the big hit as he hit the deep blast to left center field. 

The Sabres went on to load the bases with one out, but couldn't add any insurance runs. 

Gardner struck out seven in his eight innings of work. He gave up five runs (four earned) on nine hits to earn his first victory of the season. 

Cory Martin (Beaver Dam, WI) pitched a pefect ninth inning and struck out two to earn the save. 

Holtz finished 2-for-5 with two runs and two RBI's. Jace Unrein (Racine, WI) and Klismith both recorded two hits. 

Both teams had nine hits in the contest.

In game two, the Red Hawks scored five runs in the bottom of the first to grab a quick lead. The Sabres answered with two in the second, but Ripon put the game out of reach in the second with another eight runs. Langley and Seifert had RBI's in the inning. Marian had a chance for more, but stranded the bases loaded. 

Ryan Hiller (Marshfield, WI) hit a two-run home run in the fifth to make it 13-4. The Red Hawks scored a run in the seventh to win by virtue of the ten-run rule. 

Hiller was 2-for-4 in the contest with a pair of runs and a pair of RBI's. Langley also finished 2-for-4. 

Ripon out-hit the Sabres 14-9 in game two.