After Game One Loss, Pitching Delivers Scots a Wednesady Split

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (04/20/2023) — The Monmouth College baseball team split a road doubleheader on Wednesday against MWC foe Cornell (17-11, 8-6). The Fighting Scots (10-18, 5-11) dropped the opener 12-2 in eight innings before bouncing back to win the nightcap 4-2.

Monmouth took the lead early in game one as Todd Fowler (Chatham, Illinois) hit a solo home run as the second batter of the game. However, Cornell responded with four runs nin the first against Scots starter Tim McNally (Paw Paw, Illinois).

The Rams scored in the second and third before pushing the lead to 9-1 with a 3-run fifth. Nate Melvin (Ottawa, Illinois) walked with the bases loaded and two outs in the sixth as Tyker Houck (Park Ridge, Illinois) scored. But Monmouth left the bases loaded and Cornell scored two in the sixth and one more to end the game in the eighth.

McNally (2-3) took the loss as he allowed five earned runs on 10 hits over three innings. He struck out four and walked one. Carson Mohler (Temple Terrace, Florida) allowed five runs on nine hits over three innings of work. Tyler Sears (Bloomington, Illinois) allowed one run on two hits in 1 innings.

GAME TWO

Both teams again scored in the first inning of game two. Houck led off with a walk and stole second. Daniel Lummus (New Port Richey, Florida) singled to left to score Houck for a 1-0 lead. Cornell tied the game with a two-out double off Monmouth starter Cade Sharp (Aldeo, Illinois).

The game remained 1-1 until the fourth. Reid Stufflebeem (Galesburg, Illinois) walked and moved to second on a one-out single by Logan Komater (Ottawa, Illinois). Christian Centeno doubled to score Stufflebeem and Nate Reed (Chenoa, Illinois) brought home Komater with a ground out for a 3-1 Scots lead.

Sharp stranded runners in scoring position in the fifth and sixth innings. Toby Turnquist (Monmouth, Illinois) threw a perfect seventh and usual Saturday starter Jeff Garrett (Aledo, Illinois) threw a perfect eighth.

The Scots added insurance in the eighth. Reed walked with one out and moved to second on a pickoff error. With two down, Lummus singled to right to bring home Reed for a 4-1 lead. The Scots loaded the bases but couldn't add on any more runs.

The other usual Saturday starter, Addison Fletcher (Monmouth, Illinois) took over on the mound for the ninth in his first relief outing of the season. With one out the Rams got a single and a walk before Fletcher recorded a strikeout. A walk loaded the bases and Cornell cut the Monmouth lead to 4-2 with a single. Fletcher got a ground ball to shortstop and Melvin fired across the diamond to preserve the win.

Sharp (2-1) earned the win as he allowed one run on four hits over six innings. The righty struck out three and walked three. Turnquist and Garrett both threw one perfect inning. Fletcher allowed a run on two hits and two walks while recording a strikeout for the save.

MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Fletcher earned his first career college save. He's pitched 28 times in a Monmouth uniform with 26 startsSharp set a new season high with six innings pitched. Lummus and Komater had hits in both games. Lummus had four hits and two RBI on the day with a double. Fowler has two homers on the season as he also went deep last Tuesday against Knox. Monmouth heads to Appleton, Wisconsin for a Saturday double header against Lawrence starting at Noon. On Sunday the Scots face Lawrence at 11 a.m. and then travel to Ripon for a 4 p.m. makeup game.