College baseball: Ridgewater Warriors earn a split with Alex Tech

Baseball roundup — Ridgewater freshman Nikson Knapper snags a chopper at shortstop during a college baseball game against Alexandria Tech on Wednesday, April 26, 2023 at Swansson Field in Willmar.

By Tom Elliott

April 26, 2023 at 10:27 PM

WILLMAR — In a match-up in which the head coaches are long-time friends who used to coach together, Ridgewater College and Alexandria Tech managed to split a doubleheader Wednesday.

Alex Tech, coached by Jason Fischer, won 13-11 in Game 1. Ridgewater, coached by Tyler Hebrink, won Game 2, 5-2.

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Fischer was head coach at St. Cloud Technical & Community College for 10 years, where Hebrink was one of his assistants. Fischer left St. Cloud to start the new program at Alex Tech. The Legends are 4-2 in the Minnesota College Athletic Conference and 13-4 overall. Ridgewater is 2-2 in the MCAC and 5-9 overall.

Ridgewater sophomore Jack Howard tosses a pitch during a college baseball game against Alexandria Tech on Wednesday, April 26, 2023 at Swansson Field in Willmar.

The Warriors did their damage late in both games, scoring nine times in the bottom of the sixth inning of Game 1 to take a short-lived 11-10 lead. Alex Tech scored three in the top of the seventh.

Alexandria Tech's Levi Lampert slides into home for a run during a college baseball game against Ridgewater on Wednesday, April 26, 2023 at Swansson Field in Willmar.

In Game 2, Ridgewater won with a bases-clearing hit by Josh Robb in the bottom of the seventh. Robb is a sophomore from St. Peter.

Sam Etterman got the complete-game win in Game 2. The sophomore right-hander from Willmar struck out nine and walked three, scattering eight hits.

Ridgewater plays a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday at St. Cloud T&C.

Ridgewater head baseball coach Tyler Hebrink tries to rally the dugout after the Warriors scored a run during a college baseball game against Alexandria Tech on Wednesday, April 26, 2023 at Swansson Field in Willmar.

Game 2:

Ridgewater 5, Alex Tech 2

Alex Tech 200 000 0-2 8 0
Ridgewater 100 100 3-5 7 1

Hitting - Alex Tech: Brady Goebel 3-4 rbi-2, Felix Porras 2-3, Levi Lampert 1-2 2b bb-2, Jacob Merrill 1-4 r, Chuck Hackett 1-4, Carter Lang 0-3 r bb … Ridgewater: Sam Etterman 1-2 r-2 bb-2, Nolan Spence 1-2 r rbi hr bb, Bennett Knapper 1-2 r 2b bb, Caden Lang 1-3 rbi, Nikson Knapper 1-3, Tyler Flis 1-3, Josh Robb 1-4 rbi, Carter Thelen 0-2 r bb

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - Alex Tech: Kai Mayfield 6-5-2-2-3-9, Hacckett (L) 0.1-2-3-3-2-1 … Ridgewater: Etterman (W) 7-8-2-2-3-9

Ridgewater sophomore Reece Schwirtz leads off from first base during a college baseball game against Alexandria Tech on Wednesday, April 26, 2023 at Swansson Field in Willmar.

Game 1:

Alex Tech 13, Ridgewater 11

Alex Tech 410 500 3-13 15 0
Ridgewater 011 009 0-11 11 2

Hitting - Alex Tech: Brady Goebel 2-3 r-3 rbi-3 hr bb-2, Lucas Burgum 3-5 r-2 rbi-3 2b, Levi Lampert 1-2 r-3 2b bb-2, Jacob Merrill 2-4 r-2 rbi bb, Carter Lang 2-4 r rbi-3 2b bb, Austin Henrichs 2-5 rbi-2, Jack Theisen 1-3 rbi bb, Mason Conrad 1-4 r, Chuck Hackett 1-5 r … Ridgewater: Bennett Knapper 3-4 r-2 rbi 2b, Reece Schwirtz 3-4 r-2 rbi-4 2b, Josh Robb 1-3 r-2 2b bb, Carter Thelen 1-3 r bb, Nikson Knapper 1-3 r rbi-3 2b bb, Sam Etterman 1-4 r 2b bb, Tyler Flis 1-4 rbi 2b, Nolan Spencer 0-2 r-2 bb-2

Pitching (ip-h-r-er-bb-so) - Alex Tech: Brock Depute 5.1-7-6-6-6-4, Caden Sand 0.1-3-5-5-1-0, Logan Bullock (W) 1.1-1-0-0-1-1 … Ridgewater: Jack Howard 3.2-12-10-8-3-1, Zeke Walton 1.1-1-0-0-2-1, Ty Schulte (L) 1.2-1-3-3-2-0, Schwirtz 0.1-1-0-0-0-1,

Ridgewater sophomore Tyler Flis looks to the dugout for signals during a college baseball game against Alexandria Tech on Wednesday, April 26, 2023 at Swansson Field in Willmar.

By Tom Elliott

Tom Elliott has been the sports editor at the West Central Tribune since September 2019.
Contact him at telliott@wctrib.com or leave a message at 320-235-1150.