Monmouth now 3-1 to start Florida trip
The Monmouth College baseball team split with the US Merchant Marine Academy on Sunday on the Florida spring break trip. The Fighting Scots (4-4) lost the opening game 3-2 on a walk-off single before rallying to win the nightcap 18-10.
The Scots loaded the bases in the top of the second in game one but came up empty. The Mariners plated a run against Roy Ralston (Macon, Illinois) in the bottom of the fourth with a hit batter, stolen base and single.
Monmouth left the bases loaded again in the fifth before finally breaking through in the sixth. Aidan Parkins (Monmouth, Illinois) led off with a walk and moved to third as Jacob Blunck (Forsyth, Illinois) reached on an error. Parkins scored on a wild pitch to tie the game and Blunck came home on a single by Daniel Lummus (New Port Richey, Florida) for a 2-1 Monmouth lead. The next two reached but the Scots left the bases loaded for a third time.
Leading 2-1, Ralston allowed a single and hit a batter before getting a strikeout in the seventh. A single tied the game and he gave way to Owen Wolfe (Galesburg, Illinois). A bloop single to right field gave the Mariners a 3-2 walk-off win.
Ralston (0-2) took the loss as he allowed three runs on four hits over 6 innings. The right-hander struck out seven and walked two. Wolfe allowed a hit to the only batter he faced.
GAME TWO
Monmouth took control of game two with a 9-run bottom of the first. Lummus walked, Nate Reed (Chenoa, Illinois) singled and the Scots took a 1-0 lead on an error. Raul Guillermo (Miami, Florida) walked to load the bases and Reid Stufflebeem (Galesburg, Illinois) made it 2-0 with a sacrifice fly. Blunck was hit by a pitch and Eric Campen (Washington, Illinois) drove home two with a single. Aiden Scott (Carrollton, Texas) walked and Lummus singled home a run. A wild pitch plated Campen and Reed put the Scots up 7-0 with a single. Parkins capped off the inning with a 2-run single for a 9-0 lead.
Brandon Coats (Mapleton, Illinois) held the Mariners to one run over the first three innings. The Scots added on in the bottom of the third with a bases loaded walk to Alexander Dye (Albuquerque, New Mexico). Parkins scored on a wild pitch and Stufflebeem made it 12-1 with another sacrifice fly.
Monmouth led 12-5 in the fourth when Campen and Hunter Wheat (Athens, Illinois) drew consecutive walks. After a double play ball, Reed walked and Parkins singled home Campen for a 13-5 lead. Guillermo laced a single to left on a full-count for a 14-5 lead.
Coats gave way to freshman Ryan Garofoli (Chicago, Illinois) in the fifth inning. The Mariners scored three runs on two hits and two walks, trimming the Monmouth lead to 14-8. Freshman Caleb Ochs (Royal, Illinois) took over on the mound in the sixth and allowed one run on two hits as Lummus stopped the USMMA rally with an outfield assist at third to end the frame.
Reed walked to start the sixth and Parkins reached on an error. Guillermo doubled into the left-field corner and Dye doubled to right for a 17-9 lead. Blunck gave the Scots a third double in the inning as he drove in Dye for an 18-9 lead. The Mariners plated one against Heath Hornke (Normal, Illinois) in the seventh.
Coats (1-0) allowed three earned runs over four innings of work in the win. Garofoli, Ochs and Hornke worked one inning each.
MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Guillermo moved into a tie for 12th on the career total bases list with Lamar Rudd (1991-93).. … He is the 12th player in MC history with 30 career doubles .. The 18 runs scored are the most in a game for Monmouth since a 24-9 win over SUNY-Maritime in Florida on March 4, 2023 … Lummus had hits in both games and has at least one hit in all eight games this season … Lummus and Dye both had three hits in game one … Reed, Parkins, Guillermo, Blunck and Campen all had two hits in game two … The Scots drew seven walks in game one and 11 in game two … Campen had a career-high two RBI in game two … With four RBI, Parkins matched his career-high from March 30, 2024 … Reed reached base in all five plate appearances in game two … Ralston threw a career-high 6 innings and was one strikeout off his career high from April 10, 2024 … Garofoli made his college debut … The teams had never met before Sunday … The Scots are off on Monday before playing a double header against Kenyon College on Tuesday … Game one begins at 1:00 p.m. ET on Field 3.
***Courtesy of Nathan Baliva, Monmouth College***
