Long Ball Does in Scots on Saturday

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (04/09/2023) — The Monmouth College baseball team lost a pair of games to Grinnell College on Sunday, 12-7 and 11-1.. The Pioneers (9-12, 6-4) hit seven home runs on the day to sweep the Fighting Scots (7-14, 3-7) in the three-game series.

Grinnell scored three runs in the third inning against Monmouth starting pitcher Jeff Garrett (Aledo, Illinois). Mac McCain, who had four hits on Friday, homered and Luke Porter hit a 2-run shot for a 3-0 lead.

The Scots responded in the fourth. Raul Guillermo III (Miami, Florida) homered for the second day in a row to get Monmouth on the board. Jack Kuethe (Pekin, Illinois) and Nate Melvin (Ottawa, Illinois) both singled and Alexander Dye (Albuquerque, New Mexico) delivered a RBI single. Daniel Lummus (New Port Richey, Florida) gave the Scots a 4-3 lead with a 2-run single.

Porter homered again for Grinnell to tie the game in the fifth. The Scots regained the lead when Aiden Scott (Carrollton, Texas) beat out a fielder's choice as Guillermo scored for a 5-4 lead.

Grinnell tied the game on an error and Cade Sharp (Aledo, Illinois) took over on the mound. Four straight walks gave Girnnell a 7-5 lead and they added a 2-run single against Jakob Brokaw (Andalusia, Illinois).

Dye picked up another RBI for the Scots in the seventh as he doubled home Melvin. Porter hit his third homer of the game for a 10-6 lead and the Scots answered with a run on a wild pitch in the eighth. However, Grinnell plated a pair of unearned runs in the ninth for a 12-7 win.

Garrett (1-1) took the loss as he allowed six runs on seven hits over 5 innings. The lefty struck out six and walked two.

GAME TWO

Monmouth took the lead in the third inning of game two. Reid Stufflebeem (Galesburg, Illinois) led off with a double and moved to third on a wild pitch. With two down, Christian Centeno (Miami, Florida) singled for a 1-0 lead.

Grinnell tied the game in the fourth against Cam Anderson (Bloomington, Illinois). They went on top in the second inning with a homer and added another run to lead 3-1. Toby Turnquist (Monmouth, Illinois) came out of the bullpen and stranded the bases loaded.

Porter hit his fourth homer of the day in the sixth for a 5-1 Grinnell lead. A grand slam keyed a 5-run seventh for the Pioneers to take a 10-1 lead.Grinnell went up 11-1 in the eighth and the game was over on the mercy rule when the Scots failed to score bottom eight.

Anderson (1-2) took the loss as he allowed three runs on four hits and five walks over 4 innings while striking out seven. Three bullpen pitchers allowed eight runs, seven earned, on five hits and five walks over 3 innings.

Monmouth will host Blackburn at 3 p.m Monday in a non-conference game.