Monmouth slipped to .500 in the Midwest Conference race after a 5-2, 16-10 loss to Grinnell Thursday at Glasgow Field.
After the Pioneers plated a single run in the third inning of Game 1, the Scots answered with two in their half of the inning. Christian Lett reached with a one-out hit and later scored on an error off the bat of Matt Temaner. Jake Starkey walked and scored on Bryson Sheppard‘s ground out two batters later to give the Scots a 2-1 lead. The Pioneers tied the game with an unearned run in the fourth and then took the lead with a solo run in the eighth.
The teams combined for 29 hits in the nightcap as Grinnell used a four-run fifth and a five-run sixth to open up a 13-2 lead. Monmouth countered in the seventh, sending 13 batters to the plate, scoring eight runs on five hits, the big blow a three-run triple by Grant Myers. Starkey added a two-run double as the Scots cut the margin to 13-10, but would get no closer.
The two teams are scheduled to meet in Grinnell Sunday to complete the home-and-away series.
