Dye Homers as Coats Pitches Scots Past Shoremen

Monmouth scores 15 for second time in Florida

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (03/12/2024) — The Monmouth College baseball team had four multi-run innings in a 15-3 win over Washington College (Md.) on Tuesday in Florida. The Scots (4-3) tied their season high in runs scored and used three pitchers to limit the Shoremen at the plate.

"We got a couple on the board in the first inning and kept it going today against a really good pitcher for them," said head coach Alan Betourne. "We made some adjustments and did some things well that we talked about before the game."

Clayton Matkovic (Sherrard, Illinois) and Tyler Houck (Park Ridge, Illinois) walked to start the game and Daniel Lummus (New Port Richey, Florida) singled up the middle. With two outs, Reid Stufflebeem (Galesburg, Illinois) singled to right for a 2-0 Monmouth lead.

After the Shoremen hit a solo homer, the Scots got back on the board in the second. Aiden Scott (Carrollton, Texas) beat out an infield single with one out and Matkovic tripled to the right-center gap for a 3-1 lead. Houck brought home Matkovic with a sharp grounder to second for a 4-1 Monmouth lead. Lummus singled to right and Nate Reed (Chenoa, Illinois) made it 5-1 with a triple into the right field corner. Reed came home on a throwing error to make it 6-1.

Leading 6-2, the Scots added on in the fourth. Reed was hit by a pitch and Alexander Dye (Albuquerque, New Mexico) launched his first collegiate homer for an 8-2 lead. After a pitching change, Stufflebeem, AJ Freeman (Rock Island, Illinois) and Scott all walke to load the bases. Stufflebeem scored on a wild pitch, Freeman scored on a groundout and Scott scored on a single by Lummus for an 11-2 Monmouth lead.

Monmouth added on in the sixth as they batted around for a second straight frame. Dye singled and went to third on a single by Jacob Blunck (Forsyth, Illinois) with one out. Freeman walked and Dye scored as Scott walked. With two outs and a pitching change, Houck singled home Blunck and Lummus added two more on a single for a 15-2 lead.

"One through nine picks each other up and that is the fun part of coaching this team," said Betourne. "These hitters have a really good mindset moving on if something doesn't work on and today was really good team baseball."

The Scots started freshman Brandon Coats (Mapleton, Illinois) in his second career outing. Coats allowed two runs, both on solo homers, over five innings as he struck out three and walked one in the win. Cade Sharp (Aledo, Illinois) threw two scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Luke Kelty (Spring Valley, Illinois) struck out two and allowed one run in two innings of relief.

"Coats got out of that jam in the third, battling through it without giving up a run and got through five for us," said Betourne. "Cade was on his throw day and got quick innings too, good to see."

MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Lummus has hit safely in six straight gamesHe tied his career high from May 2, 2023 with four hits and also drove in three runsDye also had two hitsScott scored three runs while Matkovic, Dye, Freeman, and Reed scored twiceReed has been hit by a team-leading six pitches this season, including five so far in Florida and he leads the MWCCoats made his first college start after throwing out of the bullpen on Saturday against UNWHe joins Sharp as the two pitchers to throw five innings in a game so far this seasonThe Scots and Shoremen met in Florida in 2020 with Washington winning both gamesMonmouth also won a 7-inning JV game against Washington, 9-3The Scots will play a double header against Kenyon College at 10 a.m. ET on Wednesday.