DULUTH, Minn. -- St. Scholastica split a non-conference doubleheader with Ripon College on Wednesday afternoon at Wade Stadium, taking game one before dropping the nightcap.
The Saints leaned on a strong all-around performance in the opener, securing a 5-1 victory behind a dominant outing on the mound. St. Scholastica fell behind early, allowing a run in the first inning, but quickly settled in and flipped the game in the third. The Saints plated four runs in the frame, highlighted by an RBI single from Markus Isaiah (Centralia, IL/Centralia HS), a bases-loaded walk by Tommy Crupi (Gilbert, AZ/San Tan Charter), and a two-run single from Mason Boos (Duluth, Minn/Duluth Marshall HS) to take control.
They added an insurance run in the fifth when Finley Spicer (Aberdeen, N.C./Union Pines HS (Limestone University)) drove in Isaiah with a triple to right, extending the lead to 5-1.
On the mound, Jack Holley (San Gabriel, CA/South Pasadena HS) delivered a complete-game performance, scattering four hits and allowing just one run while striking out four over nine innings to earn the win. The Saints totaled seven hits in the game, with Boos driving in a team-high two runs, while Crupi and Spicer each added an RBI.
In game two, St. Scholastica struck quickly but couldn't sustain the early momentum in a 6-3 loss. Luke Krull (Greenville, WI/Xavier HS) opened the game with a solo home run to center field, part of a two-run first inning that gave the Saints an early advantage. Payden Joyce (Parker, Co/Lutheran HS) got the start on the mound, but Ripon responded as the game progressed, capitalizing as the Saints played without several regular starters.
Despite the early spark, St. Scholastica was unable to keep pace offensively, ultimately falling by three runs to split the doubleheader.
With the split, the Saints move to 20-17 overall heading into a pivotal weekend. St. Scholastica returns home on Saturday afternoon at Wade Stadium for a MIAC doubleheader against Concordia-Moorhead in its regular season finale. The Saints will need a sweep of the Cobbers, along with a loss by Saint Mary's in its final conference games, to keep their hopes of a MIAC playoff berth alive.
