Temaner Ties Runs Record as Scots Set Walks Record in 21-11 Win

Game two postponed to later date

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (04/25/2021) — Matt Temaner (Gurnee, Illinois) scored five times and the Monmouth College baseball team scored 15 runs over the final two innings whiel drawing a school record 18 walks in a 21-11 win at Illinois College on Saturday. Because game one started three hours late due to rain, game two was postponed to a later date. The Scots (10-5, 8-3) will host the Blue Boys (11-12, 8-3) in a Sunday doubleheader starting at Noon.

"Another team win for us," said coach Alan Betourne. "We knew there would be a lot of runs scored with two good offensive teams."

The Scots got the runs going in the first inning. Temaner was hit by a pitch and two batters later he scored on a wild pitch. Mike Dato (Oswego, Illinois) singled, Sean Davis (Bolingbrook, Illinois) walked and an error gave the Scots a 2-0 lead.

Monmouth added on in the second. Nate Melvin (Ottawa, Illinois) singled as did Sean Murphy (Milan, Illinois). With one out a wild pitch moved both runners up and Jordan Ball (Moscow Mills, Missouri) made it 3-0 with a sacrifice fly.

The BlueBoys tied the game in the second against Scots starter Addison Fletcher (Monmouth, Illinois). They took the lead in the third before the Scots plated three more in the fourth. Ball doubled home Murphy and scored on a single by Temaner. Davis made it 6-4 Monmouth with a sacrifice fly to center as Temaner scored.

The score didn't change until the sixth when IC knocked Fletcher from the game with back-to-back home runs. The first followed a two-out hit batter and IC lead 7-6 as Cal Engebretson (Knoxville, Illinois) took over on the mound.

"Addi didn't have his best stuff today," said Betourne. "But he kept us in the game and that gave us a chance."

Down 8-6 the Scots had an inning for the ages in the eighth, with only four hits, all singles. Ball and Temaner both walked with one out and IC changed pitchers. Logan Komater (Ottawa, Illinois) was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Dato tied the game with a two-run single. After another pitching change Davis singled home Komater for a 9-8 Scots lead. Justin Bost (Reynolds, Illinois) singled with Dato tagged out on the basepaths for the second out. Jackson Van Iwaarden (Ballwin, Missouri) walked to load the bases and Thomas Witty (Northbrook, Illinois) pinch ran. Jack Kuehte (Pekin, Illinois) pinch-hit for Melvin and walked to score Davis. Murphy also walked to force home Bost for an 11-8 lead. Ball made it four straight walks before IC changed pitchers again. Temaner singled home two for a 14-8 lead before Komater walked to load the bases. Dato walked, scoring Ball and a wild pitch plated Temaner. Davis walked, the ninth of the inning, before a groundout ended the frame with the Scots up 16-8.

Leading 16-10 the Scots piled on in the ninth. Witty led off with a walk, Kuethe was hit by a pitch and Murphy singled to load the bases. Ball tripled home all three runs for a 19-10 lead. Temaner walked and Komater made it 20-10 with a sacrifice fly. Dato walked and Davis walked to load the bases again. With two down, Witty walked for the second time in the inning as the Scots broke the school record with 18 free passes. Witty's walk forced home Temaner for a 21-10 lead before IC grabbed a run in the bottom of the ninth.

"We took advantage of some extra bases and had good two-strike adjustments," said coach Betourne. "A lot of fight today and the guys never gave up."

Engebretson (1-2) got the win as he threw 1 1/3 innings with no earned runs allowed. He struck out one and allowed two hits. Austin Vannaken (East Galesburg, Illinois) allowed two runs in one relief inning while Nick Corman (Monmouth Illinois) allowed one run on two hits in one inning. Fletcher threw 5 2/3 innings as he allowed six earned runs on eight hits in the no-decision.

MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Temaner tied a single-game Monmouth record with five runs scoredHe is the fifth player in school history to score five runs in a game and the first since Taylor Thiel against Grinnell on May 4, 2002Temaner has scored 116 career runs, sixth most in school historyTemaner has 130 career hits, 16th on the Scots listDato is the sixth player in school history to drive in at least 100 runs as he had three on Saturday for 101 totalBall leads the Scots with five triplesHe and Murphy both scored four runs on Saturday while Ball drove in fiveThe Scots had 12 hits, 10 singles in the gameMonmouth broke the walks record of 17 set against Cornell on April 21, 1984The 21 runs scored are the most since a 24-7 win against Lebanon Valley on March 9, 2006The Scots have scored in double figures seven times this season including four of the last sixThe Scots will host IC on Sunday with a Noon double header at Glasgow Field.