Tuesday (April 21) was one of the darkest days of the season for the Anoka Ramsey College baseball team, which dropped a doubleheader in Fergus Falls to MS-College and Technical College, 11-6 and 14-7. But a day later, Wednesday (April 22), the sun came up and the play was better in Willmar during a doubleheader split with Ridgewater College.

Anoka Ramsey beat Ridgewater 10-9 in eight innings of game one, then lost 5-4 in seven innings in game two.

Indeed, it was a forgetful appearance on the hill at MSCTC-Fergus Falls, which Anoka Ramsey had an early lead in game one thanks to a 2-run, first-inning homer by Andy Evans (freshman, Coon Rapids). But that lead and a 4-2 advantage did not last when MSCTC scored six times in the third on its way to the 11-6 win. Anoka Ramsey never led in game two, though it drew to within two runs at one point in the fifth, 9-7, before falling 14-7.

In Willmar the following day, Anoka Ramsey fell behind Ridgewater 5-0 in the first inning, but battled back to take the lead by the fifth and a 9-6 lead going into the last of the sixth. Ridgewater tied the score by scoring three times in that inning, then threatened to win it in the last of the seventh.

A squeeze bunt with the bases loaded, however, became a soft line shot at shorstop Jake Musker (freshman, St. Francis), who made the catch and tossed to third for a double play.  In the last of the eighth Ridgewater missed scoring on another squeeze play as the bunter missed the pitch and Anoka Ramsey catcher Joe Morrissette (freshman, Coon Rapids) threw to third where Zach Schroeder (freshman, Concordia Academy) made the tag out.

That last botched squeeze play by Ridgewater preserved a one-run lead Anoka Ramsey had taken in the top of the eighth. Relief pitcher Casey VanKrevelen (freshman, Andover) led off with a single and rolled over to third when an attempted pick off went awry. But that was only part of the play as VanKrevelen did not stay on third long. The ensuing  diagonal relay throw across the diamond was wild at third to allow VanKrevelen unencumbered access to home plate to score the go-ahead and what proved to be the game-winning run.

In the second game, Anoka Ramsey fell behind 3-0 in the first inning as VanKrevelen stepped back out on the mound after closing out the first game in relief. Unfortunatley, the lefty did not have it and was replaced by Brett Boxwell (freshman, Coon Rapids), who threw a strong six innings giving up two runs and five hits.

Anoka Ramsey battled back to within a run twiced, but could not get over the top against an array of Ridgewater relief pitchers in the 5-4 loss.