Baseball Finishes Florida Trip with DH Sweep on Friday

Willig Tosses CG in Opener

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (03/11/2022) — The Monmouth College baseball team ended their Spring Break trip with 21 runs over a doubleheader sweep of Geneva College on Friday. Monmouth finished the trip 6-5 as they picked up 8-1 and 13-4 wins over the Golden Tornadoes.

The Scots scored in the top of the first inning in game one. With one out, Nate Melvin (Ottawa, Illinois) singled and he moved to second on a groundout. Raul Guillermo (Miami, Florida) gave the Scots a 1-0 lead with a double to center.

Monmouth broke the game open in the second inning. Christian Centeno (Miami, Florida) led off with a single and Jack Kuethe (Pekin, Illinois) singled. Nate Reed (Chenoa, Illinois) singled to load the bases and Centeno scored when Tyler Houck (Park Ridge, Illinois) was hit by a pitch. Komater delivered a sacrifice fly for a 3-0 lead and with the bases loaded again, Justin Bost (Reynolds, Illinois) singled to make it 5-0.

The Scots kept the offense going in the third. Kuethe doubled with one out and Reed followed with a double to make it 6-0. After a pitching change, Houck made it 7-0 with a single and Komater's single gave the Scots an 8-0 lead.

While the offense was piling up runs, senior Nathan Willig (Oswego, Illinois) was setting down the Golden Tornadoes with only one hit allowed over the first three innings. Geneva didn't score until the sixth, when they plated an unearned run. Willig finished off the game with one unearned run allowed on six hits, while striking out eight.

Monmouth scored in every inning of game two, never trailing. Komater led off the first with a single and with two outs, he scored from second on a single by Guillermo. Kuethe walked and stole second in the second inning before Anthony Ruggles (Aledo, Illinois) walked. Houck singled to load the bases and Komater drove in Kuethe for a 2-0 lead.

Guillermo walked to start the third and with one out, he scored on a single by Daniel Lummus (New Port Richey, Florida), Kuethe's double plated Lummus for a 4-0 lead and Geneva changed pitchers before getting out of the inning.

Reigning Midwest Conference Pitcher of the Week, A.J. Hatlestad (New Windsor, Illinois) kept Geneva off the board for three innings before giving up an unearned run in the fourth. Boat singled home Melvin in the fourth for a 5-1 lead and Geneva scored three times in the fifth with the help of a Scots error.

Monmouth broke the game open in the fifth. Lummus was hit by a pitch with one out and moved to third on a wild pitch. Kuethe walked and Ruggles made it 6-4 with a single. Kuethe scored on a double steal and Houck singled home Ruggles before Melvin's single made it 9-4. Guillermo added another RBI when he drove in Melvin as the Scots took a 10-4 lead.

Cade Sharp (Aledo, Illinois) threw a scoreless sixth and Monmouth scored again. Lummus doubled and stole third as Kuethe walked. With one out, Houck singled home Lummus for an 11-4 lead. Monmouth capped the day with RBI singles from Melvin and Bost for a 13-4 lead. Tim McNally (Paw Paw, Illinois) threw a scoreless seventh and Hatlestad (2-0) earned the win.

MONMOUTH MOMENTS: In the 11 games in Florida the Scots scored 74 runs with 28 extra-base hits and a .315 averageBost, Houck, Kuethe, Melvin, Guillermo and Komater started all 11 games while Van Iwaarden also played in all 11Bost had 19 hits and 17 RBI on the tripMelvin scored 12 runs and had 14 hitsGuillermo had 11 RBI while he and Bost both had seven extra-base hitsKuethe drew nine walks and returns home with a team-best nine-game hitting streakSixteen different players had at least one at-bat on the tripand of those that hade more than one at-bat, all had at least two hitsThe Scots posted a 4.60 ERA with three complete games and one shutoutFifteen pitchers saw action on the trip with eight different startersHatlestad has two wins and 12 inningsWillig leads the team with 11 strikeouts in 11 inningsAddison Fletcher (Monmouth, Illinois) has 10 strikeouts in 12 inningsThe Scots will host Dominican University for a double header at Noon on Saturday, March 19 at Glasgow Field in the home opener.