The Monmouth College baseball team split a wild doubleheader at Grtnnell on Saturday with a 14-13 win in the opener and a 13-7 loss in game two.. The Scots (10-8, 3-3) will play five conference games in the next week with a home doubleheader against Knox on Tuesday and a 3-game series at Chicago on the weekend.
“It was a hard fought series between two good teams,” said head coach Alan Betourne. “Today it seemed like whoever had the last at-bat would get the win.”
The game was scoreless after four innings. Nate Reed (Chenoa, Illinois) doubled with one out in the fifth and moved to third on a single by Aiden Scott (Carrollton, Texas). Jacob Blunck (Forsyth, Illinois) gave the Scots a 1-0 lead with a pinch-hit fielders’ choice.
In the sixth, Tyler Houck (Park Ridge, Illinois) led off with a single, Daniel Lummus (New Port Richey, Florida) singled and Raul Guillermo (Miami, Florida) gave the Scots a 2-0 lead with a single. Grinnell scored their first run of the game in the bottom of the sixth off Monmouth starting pitcher Toby Turnquist (Monmouth, Illinois).
Both teams got the offense into high gear in the seventh. Scott led off with his first homer of the season for a 3-1 Monmouth lead. Blunck singled, Clayton Matkovic (Sherrard, Illinois) doubled and Houck made it 4-1 with a single. Lummus walked to load the bases and a single by Guillermo gave the Scots a 6-1 lead. Aidan Parkins (Monmouth, Illinois) drove home Lummus and Alexander Dye (Albuquerque, New Mexico was hit by a pitch. Scott’s second hi of the inning gave Monmouth an 8-1 lead.
Grinnell answered with six runs of their own in the bottom of the inning against relief pitchers Tyler Sears (Bloomington, Illinois) and Clayton Rentschler (Riverton, Illinois). The Pioneers took a 12-8 lead with five runs off Nick Villa (El Segundo, California) in the bottom of the eighth before Luke Kelty (Spring Valley, Illinois) got the final two outs
Dye singled with one out in the ninth and stole second before Reed walked. Scott launched his second homer of the game to cut the Grinnell lead to 12-11. The Pioneers changed pitchers and Blunck was hit by a pitch to put the tying run on base. Matkovic gave the Scots a 13-12 lead with a homer to left, his first of the season. Houck made it back-to-back homers for a 14-12 lead for his first of the season.
“We are hitting the ball well and need to do a little better in situations,” said Betourne. “Now we have to learn from today and move onto the next series.”
Grinnell scored off Brandon Coats (Mapleton, Illinois) in the ninth. A hit batter and a single loaded the bases with one out. Coats got a ground ball back to the mound and started a game-ending 1-2-3 double play.
Turnquist took a no-decision despite allowing just one run over six innings. He did not issue a walk and struck out one. Kelty (1-0) picked up the win and Coats earned the save.
GAME TWO
Grinnell scored three runs off Monmouth starter Ethan Zaayenga (Tremont, Illinois) in the second inning. The Scots used a big inning to take the lead in the third. Blunck led off with a single and scored on a one-out triple by Matkovic. Houck walked and stole second before Guillermo tied the game with a single to right. Parkins hit his first collegiate home run for a 5-3 Monmouth lead but the Scots left the bases loaded to end the inning.
Leading 5-4 the Scots added on on the sixth. Scott was hit by a pitch, Matkovic walked and both moved up on a sac bunt by Houck. With two down, Guillermo walked and Parkins singled home two runs for a 7-4 lead.
Grinnell scored three off Heath Hornke (Normal, Illinois) to tie the game in the sixth. The hosts took the lead in the eighth with a grand slam and added two more runs against Kelty (1-1) for the 13-7 win.
MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Lummus extended his hit streak to 16 games with two hits in game one but was hitless in game twoScott hit his first career collegiate home run and had two hits in the seventh inningHe is the first Monmouth player with a multi-homer game since Jack Kuethe on April 29, 2023Scott’s five RBI are also the most by a Monmouth player since Kuethe had seven in that same gameMatkovic’s last homer was at Ripon on March 26, 2023Houck has two career homers at Grinnell with his other one on April 16, 2022The last time the Scots hit four homers in a game was April 18, 2021 at GrinnellTurnquist threw a career-high six innings and had his first start without issuing a walkHe has gone at least 5 innings in three straight startsNine different Scots had a hit in game oneMatkovic, Houck, Guillermo, Parkins and Blunck had hits in both gamesMatkovic had two triples in game twoScott had four hits in the opener while Houck had threeKelty got his first career win and Coats his first saveParkins had four RBI in game twoNine different Scots have homered on the seasonRentschler and Kelty pitched in both gamesMonmouth ended an eight-game slide against the Pioneers in game oneThe Scots won the 2021 season series 4-2 but the Pioneers swept the 2022 and 2023 season seriesThe Scots will host Knox for a doubleheader at Noon on Tuesday.
***Courtesy of Nathan Baliva, Monmouth College***
