JACKSONVILLE, Ill.- The Blueboys split with Ripon on Friday afternoon at Joe Brooks Field and force a crucial game three Saturday afternoon for the series win.
With the split the Blueboys move to 20-12 overall and 8-6 in Midwest Conference play, and Ripon moves to 11-16 overall and 6-5 in conference play.
Game 1: IC 6 Ripon 2
The Blueboys jumped out to an early lead with a three-run second inning, sparked by
Ketch Mills' second home run of the season.
Adam Passmore followed with a clutch two-out, two-run single up the middle to give IC a 3–0 advantage.
Ripon responded with runs in the third and seventh innings to close the gap, but Illinois College's offense came alive again in the bottom of the eighth. The Blueboys tacked on three more runs thanks to extra-base hits from Mills and
Logan Fleener, followed by
Logan Schweigert's third home run of the year to push the lead to four.
Charlie Lardi earned his seventh win of the season, moving to a perfect 7–0 and tying the program's single-season win record. The right-hander struck out seven and allowed just one earned run over seven innings.
Andrew Wieneke tossed two strong innings in relief, giving up just one hit and one earned run to secure the 6–2 victory.
Connor Akstulewicz closed things out in the ninth to seal the win.
Game 2: Ripon 15 IC 7
Illinois College came up short in Game 2 of Friday's doubleheader, falling to Ripon 15–7. The Blueboys started strong, scoring in the first inning and adding two more in the third, however, Ripon responded with big innings in the middle and late frames, including a five-run fourth and a six-run eighth, to take control of the game.
Louie Bartletti had a standout performance at the plate, going 4-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs, and four runs scored.
Ketch Mills added an RBI double, while
Nolan Decker and
Logan Fleener each drove in a run to help fuel the offense. Despite the offensive output, the Blueboys couldn't keep pace with Ripon's surging lineup.
On the mound,
Dawson Vernier got the start and was one of five pitchers used by IC in the game. Ripon tallied 14 hits and capitalized on scoring opportunities throughout the contest to even the series.
Up Next
The Blueboys welcome Ripon back to Joe Brooks Field tomorrow afternoon for the rubber match at 12:00pm.
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