Finally.

The Riverland Community College baseball team picked up its first win of the season on Tuesday, splitting a MCCC South Division doubleheader at No. 14-ranked Ridgewater in Willmar.

The Blue Devils started the season 0-6, losing the first games of three doubleheaders by a combined four runs. Riverland turned the tides on Ridgewater with a strong pitching performance from Austin High School graduate Clint Ripley, who went the distance in the Devils' first victory.

"We've played several nice first games, and this was the same situation," said Riverland first-year coach Scott Koenigs. "They were excited and into the game, it was a good win for us. We could very easily be 4-4 right now.

"It was good to help us going into this weekend where we have four games I think we should win."

Riverland was originally scheduled to host Anoka-Ramsey on Friday, but those games have been moved north to the Twin Cities. North Hennepin is still on schedule for Saturday at 1 and 3 p.m. as the Blue Devils' home opener in Austin.

"Last year at this time they were 1-7," Koenigs said of Riverland, which went on to finish second in the division, fourth in the state and fourth in the region. "We've played the toughest part of our schedule, so we should be alright.

"We're hanging with everybody, we've just got to win some of those close ones."

Jamie Morrison drove in the game-winning runs in the opener with a two-run double in the fifth inning. Mike Haugen plated Morrison with a two-out single later in the frame.

Haugen drove in Riverland's catalyst run in the top of the first inning with a single, and Ripley gave the Devils a 2-1 lead with a two-out run-scoring single in the second.

Ripley struck out only two Ridgewater batters, but the defense committed just one error behind him and walks were not an issue. The host Warriors rallied for a run with two outs in the seventh.

"The biggest thing is that we haven't thrown strikes, and in this game we did," Koenigs said. "That's what has killed us at times -- not throwing strikes."

Ridgewater rebounded to take advantage of an off-pitching performance from the Devils in the nightcap. Jeff Geisler walked five and allowed seven hits and four earned runs, but hit a two-run homer in the top of the first to try and offset an off-day on the hill.

Riverland chased Ridgewater's starting pitcher, Neil Glein, from the mound in the second inning when the Devils took a 5-0 lead. Ridgewater responded to the change with seven runs in its next two at-bats, taking a 7-6 lead.

Mike Haugen allowed only one run on no hits in two and one-third innings of relief. Geisler was saddled with his third loss of the season.

Boxscores:

Game One

RiverlandRidgewater

Dixon 3b4110Terres lf2100

Morrison lf3222Lieser 2b3010

Volbrecht ss3000Beyer 1b3011

Haugen c3022Herrmann 3b3000

Geisler cf3010Hagert c2100

Bonser 1b3110Schade rf3000

Walerak 2b3000Knott dh3021

Wiechmann rf2110Marquardt cf2000

Ripley p2011Middendorf ss3000

Totals26595Totals25242

Riverland1100300--591

Ridgewater1000001--241

2B--Morrison.

IPHRERBBSO

Riverland

Ripley, W 1-1742212

Ridgewater

Krotzer, L795537

HBP--Ripley 2.

Game Two

RiverlandRidgewater

Dixon 3b2110Middendorf ss3122

Morrison cf2000Lieser 3100

Vollbrecht ss3111Beyer 2100

Haugen c4112 Kotchevar ph0100

Geisler p3112Herrmann 2100

Bonser rf4100 Ficker ph0000

Peterson 2b2000Hagert 3221

Ripley 1b2100Schade rf3001

Walerak lf3010Knott dh3100

Marquardt cf4110

Wollschlager lf3111

Totals25655Totals261075

Riverland4110000--656

Ridgewater034102x--1072

2B--Dixon, Haugen, Middendorf, Hagert. 3B--Middendorf. HR--Geisler (2). S--Schade, Herrmann. SB--Vollbrecht, Bonser, Schade.

IPHRERBBSO

Riverland

Geisler, L3 2/374450

Haugen2 1/301124

Ridgewater

Glein1 2/335521

Bromenshenkel, W4 1/321043

Nelson100011

HBP--Dixon (by Glein), Lieser (by Haugen).