Green Knight Nine Swept at Ripon

From Sports Information Director, April 28, 2009 | Baseball
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

RIPON - St. Norbert College's quest for a berth in the Midwest Conference Baseball Tournament took a serious blow with a 6-1, 4-2 doubleheader sweep at the hands of Ripon College at Francis Field.

The Green Knights (15-11, 6-4 MWC) face Ripon (14-12, 7-3 MWC) in the back end of the four-game series at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday at Joannes Stadium in Green Bay. Beloit (22-7, 9-5) is also in contention for the two spots in the tournament.

St. Norbert led 1-0 in the opener, scoring a first-inning run. Brandon Hintz singled to left and moved up to second on an outfield error. After Hintz was bunted to third, Jared Yost's infield single plated Hintz. St. Norbert would load the bases in the first inning with one out but would not score again.

Ripon broke through with a six-run seventh inning. A misplayed sacrifice bunt attempt led to an RBI single by David Soda. With two outs, a pair of bases-loaded walks and two hits scored five runs.

Mike Lloyd picked up the win for Ripon, allowing seven hits with five walks and five strikeouts. Trevin Hillesheim took the loss, allowing six hits in 6 2/3 innings with six walks and four strikeouts. Hintz was 2-for-4 and Yost was 3-for-4 in the opener, getting five of the Green Knights' seven hits.

St. Norbert mustered six hits in the nightcap, getting two from Hintz in three at bats. Ripon took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. The Green Knights made it 2-1 when Garrick Fisher's sacrifice fly scored Yost in the fourth, but Ripon answered with runs in the fourth and fifth. Tony Jandron's sacrifice fly to score Hintz in the eighth was St. Norbert's other run.

Matt Dwyer outdueled Bryan Stoppenbach on the mound. Dwyer allowed six hits with two walk and five strikeouts. Stoppenbach scattered eight hits with three walks and two strikeouts.