MONMOUTH, ILL. (05/10/2025) The Monmouth College baseball team advanced to the Midwest Conference Championship game with a 12-7 Friday night win over host Lawrence. The Fighting Scots (19-20) will play either Beloit or Lawrence at 2 p.m. Saturday and will have two chances to win the MWC title.
Daniel Lummus (New Port Richey, Florida) was hit by a pitch in the first inning and Nate Reed (Chenoa, Illinois) walked. But with runners on the corners, a double play ended the inning.
Lawrence took a 1-0 lead in the second with a solo home run off Toby Turnquist (Monmouth, Illinois). The Vikings loaded the bases but a 4-6-3 double play for the Scots out of trouble.
Aidan Parkins (Monmouth, Illinois) walked with one out in the second inning. Eric Canpen (Washington, Illinois) singled with two outs and Gabe Zeigler-Harris (East Peoria, Illinois) walked to load the bases. Parkins scored on an error and Monmouth took the lead when Reed was hit by a pitch.
Lawrence tied the game in the third with a solo home run. Turnquist got out of a first and third situation with a grounder back to the mound.
Clayton Matkovic (Monmouth, Illinois) doubled with one out in the third and Aiden Scott (Carrollton, Texas) singled to put two on with two out. However a grounder left two on with the game tied.
Turnquist had a 1-2-3 inning with a backwards strikeout and the bats went to work. Lummus launched a solo homer with one out, his fifth of the season for a 3-2 lead. Reed walked and Raul Guillermo (Miami, Florida) was hit by a pitch. Matkovic crushed his first homer of the season, a 3-run shot for a 6-2 lead. Parkins singled and Scott reached on an error before the Vikings finally changed pitchers and escaped the inning.
Leading 6-3; the Scots loaded the bases in the fifth. Zeigler-Harris and Lummus singled before Reed walked. With one out, Guillermo singled to left to bring home two for an 8-3 lead.
After the Vikings got one back, Monmouth answered in the sixth. Scott reached on an error, Campen walked and Zeigler-Harris beat out a bunt single. Scott scored on a groundout by Lummus and Alexander Dye (Albuquerque, New Mexico) reached on an infield single as two scored for an 11-4 lead.
Brandon Coats (Mapleton, Illinois) took over in the seventh. Lawrence picked up a double and home run to trim the Scots lead to 11-6.
Matkovic and Parkins walked to start the seventh and Scott beat out a bunt single. Campen walked for a 12-6 lead as Matkovic scored. Lawrence got one back in the ninth but Coats closed the door for the 12-7 win.
Turnquist (4-6) picked up the win as he allowed four runs over six innings and struck out one. Coats earned his second save with three innings of work and one strike out
MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Guillermo has a 17-game hit streak … With 55 hits on the season he is tied for 11th in one season and now third with 171 career hits … Lummus moved into 8th on the career games played list … He also moved into 6th on the career hits listWith 12 starts on the season both Turnquist moved into a tie for fourth place for most-starts in a season … With three walks, Reed set the single-season walks record with 39 … He also moved past Michael Blaesing for second on the career walks list with 84 … Guillermo had his 19th multi-hit game of the season in the opener while Lummus had his 18th and Matkovic his 14th … All three had multiple hits in both games on Friday ,,, Turnquist moved into a tie for 10th with Nick Corman (’23) for career pitching appearances with 36 … Monmouth won the regular-season series 2-1,, ,,, The Scots are 15-9 all-time against Lawrence including a 5-1 record in the MWC Tournament … Monmouth last played for a MWC Championship in 2018 when they won at home … Beloit and Lawrence play at 10 a.m. with the loser eliminated … The winner will face Monmouth at 2 p.m. and if they beat the Scots, the teams play again at 5 p.m.
***Photo and story courtesy of Monmouth College Athletics***
