FOND DU LAC, Wis. (SabreAthletics.com) – A pair of 3-2 victories were split among nearby non-conference foes Marian University and Ripon College in non-conference baseball action this evening, April 25. The host Sabres scored all three runs in the eighth inning to steal game one before the Red Hawks clung to their win with solid pitching throughout.
They were two tightly contested contests between two evenly matched teams and both results reflected such. The Sabres used one big inning to take game one, while Ripon out-hit Marian 11-3 in game two en route to the win.
Marian moves to 15-17 overall, while the Red Hawks finished the night 15-13.
In game one, Marian starter
Jeff Thomas gave the Sabres six solid innings, allowing two runs (1 earned) on six hits. Ripon scored a run in both the third and sixth innings to take a 2-0 lead.
The Sabres couldn't muster any scoring chances until later in the game when they left two runners on in the fifth and three in the sixth, only to walk away empty from both. Marian put a runner in scoring position in the seventh, but were turned away as well.
Finally, in the eighth inning,
T.J. McCoy led off with a pinch-hit double to right field before the next three hitters each reached base with singles, including
Jace Unrein and
Chad Langley, who recorded RBI hits, the latter giving Marian a 3-2 lead.
Reliever
Garrett Thompson gave way to
Brandon Winfield in the ninth, who recorded his fourth save of the season. Thompson earned his first collegiate victory with two scoreless and hitless innings of work.
In game two, the Marian bats went quiet to the tune of just three hits, while Ripon managed to squeeze three runs out of 11 hits of its own.
Both teams traded a run in the first with
Will Martin recording the sacrifice fly to score
Anthony Porcaro from third base to tie the game.
Trailing 2-1 in the sixth inning, the Sabres tied the game with a
John Cetnar single through the left side that scored Porcaro.
After a scoreless inning from
Jake Schaffhauser,
Josh Gruenke came on in relief for the eighth and the Red Hawks got to him. The freshman hit the first batter he faced before striking out Eric Schumacher for the first out. After getting the next batter to hit into a fielder's choice to retire the runner at second, things looked promising with two outs and a runner at first.
However, the next three batters singled, including Mitchell Busch, who drove in the go-ahead and eventual game-winning run.
Winfield came on for his second appearance of the day and got the final four outs of the game. The Sabres went quietly in the ninth for their seventh loss in their last eight games.
Marian will be on the road Saturday, April 28, taking on MSOE in Milwaukee at noon. The Sabres return home Sunday, April 29, to face Aurora at 1 p.m.
