Jack Kuethe Blasts Three Homers, Drive in Nine in DH Split at IC

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (04/30/2023) — The Monmouth College baseball team watched third baseman Jack Kuethe (Pekin, Illinois) hit three homers and drive in nine runs on Saturday as they split on the road with Illinois College (15-21, 11-9). The Scots (15-20, 10-13) dropped the opener 13-8 before winning the nightcap 9-7 and the teams play the series finale in Monmouth on Sunday.

The Blueboys scored in the bottom of the first with an unearned run off Addison Fletcher (Monmouth, Illinois). Kuethe led off the second with a homer for the Scots, tying the game.

IC scored in the second and third innings, pushing the lead to 5-1. Monmouth got on the board in the third as Kuethe walked with one out. Daniel Lummus (New Port Richey, Florida) doubled to center to score Kuethe. After a groundout, Lummus scored on a double by Christian Centeno (Miami, Florida).

The hosts hit a homer in the fourth to go up 6-3 and Monmouth got right back to work in the fifth. Nate Reed (Chenoa, Illinois) led off with a single and Tyler Houck (Park Ridge, Illinois) walked. A bunt advanced both runners and Raul Guillermo (Miami, Florida) drove in Reed with a groundout. An error scored Houck but the Scots left a runner on base, down 6-5.

IC led off the fifth with a homer and scored three times in the sixth to push the lead to 10-5. Monmouth rallied again with a 3-run seventh. Houck walked, Logan Komater (Ottawa, Illinois) singled and Gullermo walked. Kuethe walked to score Houck and Komater came home on a double play. Nate Melvin (Ottawa, Illinois) singled to score Guillermo and cut the IC lead to 10-8 but the Scots didn't score again in the 13-8 loss.

Fletcher (2-3) took the loss as he allowed three earned runs on two hits and two walks over two innings. Jakob Brokaw (Andalusia, Illinois) threw four innings, allowing six runs on six hits. Carson Mohler (Temple Terrace, Florida) allowed two earned runs on three hits and three walks in two innings.

GAME TWO

Kuethe hit his second homer of the day to give the Scots a 1-0 lead in the top of the second. Illinois College tied the game against Jeff Garrett (Aledo, Illinois) in the bottom of the inning with an unearned run.

Kuethe put the Scots back on top in the third as he doubled home Reid Stufflebeem (Galesburg, Illinois) and Lummus with a two-out double. Leading 3-1, the Scots added on in the fourth. WIth two on and one out, Guillermo singled home Houck for a 4-1 lead. Lummus doubled home Melvin and after a pitching change, Stufflebeem walked to load the bases. The scorching hot Kuethe unloaded on a grand slam, his third homer of the day, to give the Scots a 9-1 lead.

IC scored four in the fourth to cut the lead to 9-5. They added one more in the eighth and hit a home run in the ninth to get within two and 9-7. With a runner on first, Nick Corman (Monmouth, Illinois) induced a double play to end the game.

Garrett (3-2) earned the win as he allowed four earned runs on 11 hits over five innings while striking out five. Toby Turnquist (Monmouth, Illinois) allowed one run on three hits over three innings while striking out two. Corman picked up his second save of the season as he allowed one run on one hit in one inning.

MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Monmouth is 112-74 all-time against Illinois College including 17-10 under coach Betourne. Kuethe homered in both games with three total on the day. His seven RBI in game two has only been outdone by two players in school history, Mike McNeieve in 1990 and Mike Dato in 2021 as both collected eight in a game. Kuethe is 11-for-25 (.440) with 10 walks, 13 RBI and eight extra-base hits during a six-game hitting streak. Komater, Kuethe, Lummus, Melvin and Centeno had hits in both games. Lummus joined Kuethe with three hits in game two. Corman moved into a tie for sixth on the career saves list with five and into 10th on the career pitching appearances list with 35. Fletcher moved into ninth with his 29th career start on the mound and he ranks 10th with 144 strikeouts. Monmouth hosts IC for Senior Day on Sunday at Noon with a pre-game ceremony at 11:40 a.m.