Sharp Tosses Second Straight Shutout, Scots Split with Kenyon

Monmouth, IL (03/13/2020) — Mar. 12 - baseball at Fort Pierce, Fla. - Monmouth College vs. Kenyon College (2)

Game 1
MC 9
KC 0
Box Score https://monmouthscots.com/sports/baseball/stats/2020/kenyon-college/boxscore/5791

Game 2
KC 4
MC 3
Box Score https://monmouthscots.com/sports/baseball/stats/2020/kenyon-college/boxscore/6052

Conner Sharp was nearly untouchable again for Monmouth, scattering four hits in his second shutout win in as many starts, pitching the Scots past Kenyon College 9-0 in Fort Pierce, Fla., Thursday. Kenyon came back in Game 2 with a 4-3 win over the Scots to earn the split.

Sharp fanned seven in Game 1 and got plenty of support as the Scots banged out 11 hits and iced the game with a seven-run top of the seventh. Sharp worked out of a two on, no out jam in the sixth and earlier had retired seven straight batters in going 2-0 on the young season. Cameron Kellar and Brett Fordyce had knocked in a run apiece in the fourth for all the runs Sharp would need. Monmouth piled on in the seventh, batting around and sending a dozen batters to the plate.

Runs were a bit tougher to come by in Game 2, but the Scots still found themselves in the hunt. Matt Temaner scored twice in the first three innings but the Scots trailed 4-2 heading into the bottom of the fourth. Nate Melvin gave Monmouth life with two outs, legging out an infield hit and moving to second on Fordyce's base hit through the left side. Melvin, who moved to third on a wild pitch, scored when Fordyce was tagged out on Temaner's batted ball on the infield. The Scots nearly pulled even in the fifth when they loaded the bases with two outs before the Lords induced an inning-ending fly out. Justin Bost kept the Scots' hopes alive in the seventh, drawing a two-out walk before a strikeout ended the inning, giving A.J. Hatlestad the hard luck loss.

Newcomer Logan Komater led Monmouth's offense, going 5-for-9 with three RBIs in the twinbill.

Monmouth completes their Florida trip with a morning matchup with Immaculata University in Fort Pierce.