Scots Drop Opener at Beloit; Game Two Halted by Darkness

Game two resumes Saturday as Scots Lead 7-3

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (04/04/2026) — The Monmouth College baseball team dropped the opener at Beloit 7-1 on Friday. Game two was suspended by darkness after eight innings with the Fighting Scots (6-13, 2-2) leading 7-3. It will resume on Saturday at 1 p.m. before the regularly scheduled series finale.

Starting pitcher Roy Ralston (Macon, Illinois) and Beloit's Ben Schweit put on a display early as they combined for nine strikeouts in the first two innings. The game was scoreless in the bottom of the fourth when Beloit broke through with two singles, a walk, a RBI groundout and another single. Ralston pitched around an error and escaped down 3-0 with a runner left at third.

Down 4-0, Monmouth got on the board in the sixth. Gabriel Zeigler-Harris (East Peoria, Illinois) doubled with one out to snap Schweit's streak of retiring the first 16 batters of the game. With two down, Aidan Parkins (Monmouth, Illinois) singled up the middle to get the Scots on the board.

Aiden Scott (Carrollton, Texas) singled to start the seventh but the next three batters struck out. Beloit added insurance runs in the eighth against reliever Dane Keeven (Edwardsville, Illinois). Two walks and an error loaded the bases and another walk forced in a run. An error made it 6-1 and a sacrifice fly gave Beloit a 7-1 lead. Will Baumgartner (Sycamore, Illinois) came on in relief with runners on the corners and got a strikeout to end the frame. Monmouth went in order in the ninth as Schweit finished his complete game.

Ralston (1-4) took the loss as he allowed four runs on six hits over five innings while striking out five. Keeven allowed two earned runs on three hits in 2 2/3 innings while walking three. Baumgartner retired the only batter he faced with a strikeout.

MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Eric Campen (Washington, Illinois) had his 13-game hist streak snapped with an 0-for-4 game ... Parkins has a 10-game hit streak ... Scott moved into 10th in Monmouth history in career fielding assists ... Monmouth had four hits and did not draw a walk ,,, Game two had a lightning delay after the second inning ... The game was suspended after the eighth with the Scots leading 7-3Beloit leads the all-time series 25-23 ... The teams split six games last year with Monmouth going 2-1 in the regular season and Beloit going 2-1 in the MWC Tournament ... The teams will finish the suspended game and then play a regular 9-inning game on Saturday at 1 p.m. ... Monmouth is back home on Tuesday with a 1 p.m. DH against Illinois College.