Nationally Ranked Bullets Score Two in Ninth to Beat Scots

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (03/12/2026) — The Monmouth College baseball team built a 7-1 lead against No. 25 Gettysburg College (11-1) on Thursday but ultimately lost 9-8. The Fighting Scots (3-10) allowed two runs with two outs in the top of the ninth and will finish the Florida trip on Friday.

With the game scoreless, Cade Farquer (Williamsfield, Illinois) led off the second with a triple to the wall in center field. After two strikeouts, Logan Straube (Wheaton, Illinois) put the Scots up 1-0 with a triple to nearly the same spot as Farquer's. Hunter Wheat (Athens, Illinois) walked but the Scots left runners on the corners.

The Bullets pulled even in the second against Ethan Zaayenga (Tremont, Illinois). A one out hit batter and single put runners on the corners before a sacrifice fly tied the game.

The Scots came out swinging in the third. Eric Campen (Washington, Illinois) and Aiden Scott (Carrollton, Texas) both singled before the latter was out on a Clayton Matkovic (Sherrard, Illinois) fielders' choice. Campen scored as Farquer reached on an error and a double by Zach Almaguer (Monmouth, Illinois) put the Scots up 3-1. Gabriel Zeigler-Harris (East Peoria, Illinois) doubled home two more and with two outs, Wheat walked. Aidan Parkins (Monmouth, Illinois) made it 7-1 with a double before the Bullets got out of the inning.

The Scots led 7-2 into the fifth inning when the Bullets closed the gap. A 1-out single, walk and double steal put two in scoring position and a double plated both runs. A single up the middle scored another before Zaayenga got a pair of flyouts to end the frame.

Campen led off the sixth with a double and moved to third on a single by Scott. Campen scored on a double play for an 8-5 Monmouth lead, Farquer singled with what ended up being Monmouth's final hit of the game, but he was left at third.

Ryan Garofoli (Chicago, Illinois) took over on the mound in the seventh. The Bullets put runners on the corners before a flyout to left ended the frame. The Bullets put two on in the eighth to start the inning but Garofoli got two pop ups. A single to center fell just in front of a diving Zeigler-Harris as both runs scored for an 8-7 game.

Brandon Coats (Mapleton, Illinois) took over on the mound in the ninth, facing the heart of the Bullets order. He struck out the first two batters before a walk put the tying run on base. A hit batter and a single to right on a full count scored both runners for a 9-8 Bullets lead.

Monmouth went in order in the bottom of the ninth on three straight strikeouts.

Zaayenga allowed five runs on eight hits over six innings of work. He struck out three, walked one and hit one. Garofoli allowed two runs on five hits over two innings with one strikeout. Coats (1-2) took the loss as he allowed two runs on one hit, one walk, one hit batter and two strikeouts in one inning.

MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Scott picked up his 100th career hit, second most on the current roster behind Matkovic (126) ... Farquer and Straube both had their first career triples, a day after both had their first career homers ... Farquer has four extra-base hits on the trip ... Campen, Scott and Farquer all had two hits ... Scott has six multi-hit games while Campen and Farquer have three ... Parkins had his third multi-RBI game of the season ... Zeigler-Harris also drove in two ... Former Monmouth softball coach John Goddard was in attendance, after visiting the Scots softball team for Wednesday's games ... The Scots are 1-4 all-time against Gettysburg with the last matchup coming in 2024 ... The Scots face United States Merchant Marine Academy at 10 a.m. ET Friday in the final spring break game ... The Scots home opener is scheduled for Monday, March 16 against Maranatha Baptist.