Baseball Loses Pair in Chicago on Saturday

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (04/07/2024) — The Monmouth College baseball team played a doubleheader at the University of Chicago on Saturday. The Scots (10-10, 3-5) lost game one 6-1 and dropped game two 10-4. Box scores were not yet available at time of publishing this article.

The Scots gave up an unearned run in the bottom of the first inning and trailed 1-0. Monmouth tied the game in the top of the second with a 3-hit inning. Alexander Dye (Albuquerque, New Mexico) doubled and scored on a single by Nate Reed (Chenoa, Illinois). Jacob Blunck (Forsyth, Illinois) also singled but the Scots left a pair on base.

The Maroons added a pair of runs in the third and three more in the eighth. Clayton Matkovic (Sherrard, Illinois) picked up his second hit of the game to start the sixth but a double play ended the threat. Reed Stufflebeem (Galesburg, Illinois) had a pinch-hit single in the eighth but Chicago retired the final five batters of the game.

Cade Sharp (Aledo, Illinois) threw his first MWC complete game, despite taking the loss. He struck out five over eight innings of work.

GAME TWO

Chicago scored five runs in the first inning of game two with four hits, two Monmouth errors and a walk. The Scots responded in the second with a pair of runs. Blunck led off with a walk and was out at second Jonas Buckles (Albuquerque, New Mexico) reached on a fielders' choice. Aiden Scott (Carrollton, Texas) doubled home Buckles to get the Scots on the board. With two down, Scott scored on an error to trim the Chicago lead to 5-2.

Chicago scored again in the second to lead 6-2 before the Scots got the bats going in the third. Daniel Lummus (New Port Richey, Florida) singled with one out and moved up on a wild pitch. With two down, Dye singled home Lummus and moved to third on a pair of wild pitches. Blunck's single brought home Dye to bring the tying run to the plate but Chicago changed pitchers and escaped the jam.

Monmouth threatened in the sixth and seventh innings. In the sixth, Blunck singled with one out and Buckles reached on an error but Chicago escaped the inning unscathed. In the seventh, Matkovic led off with a walk but was out on the bases. With two down, Lummus and Raul Guillermo (Miami, Florida) drew consecutive walks but a strikeout ended the frame.

Chicago added insurance late with three runs in the seventh and another in the eighth against the Monmouth bullpen. The Scots put two on base in the ninth as Gabe Zeigler-Harris was hit by a pitch with one out and Tyler Houck (Park Ridge, Illinois) walked with two outs. However, Chicago ended the game with a strikeout for a 10-4 win.

Toby Turnquist (Monmouth, Illinois) started game two and took the loss. He struck out two before giving way to Roy Ralston (Macon, Illinois) in the fourth. Ralston kept the Maroons off the board in the middle innings. Ethan Zaayenga (Tremont, Illinois) and Brandon Coats (Mapleton, Illinois) both allowed runs late in the game out of the Scots bullpen.

MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Matkovic singled to start the first game for an 11-game hit streak but he was hitless in game twoMatkovic has eight multi-hit games on the seasonDye, Scott and Blunck had hits in both gamesSharp has gone at least five innings in four straight starts and in five of his six starts this seasonThe eight innings is a career-high for SharpThe Scots are 3-12 all-time against Chicago with a win in the last matchup of the 2023 season at homeThe Sunday game has already been postponed due to impending weather in Chicago and will be made up later this seasonMonmouth is scheduled to host Knox in a doubleheader at Wednesday with the first pitch at Noon.