Baseball Splits DH with Ripon on Saturday

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (03/29/2026) — The Monmouth College baseball team opened Midwest Conference play with a home double header split against Ripon (2-13, 1-1) on Saturday. The Fighting Scots (5-12, 1-1) rallied to win game one 11-8 before dropping game two 8-0.

GAME ONE

Eric Campen (Washington, Illinois) tripled with one out and Aiden Scott (Carrollton, Texas) was hit by a pitch. Clayton Matkovic (Sherrard, Illinois) doubled to left-center to bring home both runners and give the Scots a 2-0 lead.

Ripon scored a run against Roy Ralston (Macon, Illinois) in the second with a walk comping between a pair of hits. Zach Almaguer (Monmouth, Illinois) led off the bottom of the second with a double to right center and he moved to third on a sac bunt by Logan Straube (Wheaton, Illinois), With two down, Almaguer scored on a wild pitch for a 3-1 Monmouth lead.

Ripon loaded the bases in the fourth with no outs on a double, walk and a sac bunt attempt that resulted in a single with no throw. A sacrifice fly plated a run and Ripon got the bases loaded again with a 2-out walk. A grand slam gave the visitors a 6-3 lead and the next batter hit a solo homer for a 7-3 lead.

The Scots left the bases loaded in the fifth and Ripon added to the lead against reliever Dane Keeven (Edwardsville, Illinois) in the sixth. A lead off triple and a sacrifice fly put the visitors up 8-3 before Keeven got out of the inning.

Almaguer reached on an error to start the sixth and Straube doubled to left-center to make it 8-4. After a pitching change, Straube moved to third on a passed ball and scored on a wild pitch as Zeigler-Harris was hit by a pitch. Another wild pitch led to a pitching change and Ziegler-Harris scored on a groundout by Campen. Scott doubled to right-center to bring the tying run to the plate

Jace Wilkerson (East Peoria, Illinois) led off the seventh with a single and Cade Farquer (Williamsfield, Illinois) walked. Caden Gores (Hugo, Minnesota) ran for Farquer and both runners moved up on a sac bunt by Almaguer. Straube singled home a run and Gabriel Zeigler-Harris (East Peoria, Illinois) walked to load the bases. Aidan Parkins (Monmouth, Illinois) doubled home two runs to put the Scots up 9-8 and with two down, Scott singled home two more for an 11-8 lead.

Ralston allowed seven runs on seven hits and two walks over five innings while striking out two. Keeven (2-0) picked up the win as he allowed one run on one hit in four innings of work.

GAME TWO

Ripon took the lead on Ethan Zaayenga (Tremont, Illinois) in the top of the second with an unearned run. After a hit by pitch started the inning, a grounder put a run in scoring position and a throwing error gave Ripon a 1-0 lead.

Monmouth's best threat came in the fifth. With one out, Zeigler-Harris singled and was out at second on a fielders' choice with Parkins safe at first. Campen singled to put two on base but a grounder ended the inning.

In the sixth, Ripon got things going with two singles and another hit made it 2-0. They tried to sacrifice but Monmouth didn't make a throw and the bases were loaded on the bunt single. After an out at the plate on a squeeze bunt but a walk forced in another run before Zaayenga got out of the jam.

Matkovic and Wilkerson led off the sixth with consecutive singles and both moved up a base as Farquer grounded out. However, two straight outs ended the threat and the Red Hawks made it 4-0 with a solo homer in the seventh.

Ripon added on in the eighth against reliever Caleb Ochs (Royal, Illinois) A lead-off single and stolen base put a runner in scoring position. Three straight walks with two outs scored a run and put the visitors up 5-0. Another bases loaded walk made it 6-0 and the Scots changed pitchers. Will Baumgartner (Sycamore, Illinois) came in and got out of the bases loaded jam.

The Scots left two on base in the eighth and Ripon started the ninth with a solo homer for a 7-0 lead. A walk and two singles made it 8-0 before the Scots got out of the inning.

Zaayenga (0-5) took the loss as he allowed three earned runs on eight hits and a walk as he struck out two over six innings. Ochs allowed two runs on one hit and four walks in two-thirds of an inning. Baumgartner allowed two runs on three hits and two walks in 1 1/3 innings.

MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Campen has hit safely in 12 straight games ... Parkins, Campen, Matkovic, Wilkerson and Almaguer had hits in both games ... Parkins had a double in both games ... Almaguer, Campen, Parkins and Matkovic had three hits on the day ... Parkins, Scott, Matkovic and Straube all had two RBI in game one ... Almaguer, Straube and Zeigler-Harris scored two runs each in the opener ... The second game marked the firs time Monmouth was shutout since a 1-0 loss at Ripon on May 4, 2025 ... Head coach Alan Betourne was ejected from the third base coaches box in the top of the ninth ... Monmouth leads the all-time series 28-27 ... Ripon won two of three last year at home while the Scots swept a home series in 2024 ,,, The teams play a single game at Noon Sunday ... Monnouth goes to Beloit next weekend for three games.