The Monmouth College softball team started their Florida Spring Break trip with a pair of losses on Sunday. The Fighting Scots (1-5) led early in the opener but lost 8-7 to Marietta before falling 14-0 in six innings to Nebraska Wesleyan .
GAME ONE
With one out in the top of the first, Ella Cunningham (Dunlap, Illinois) walked and moved to second on a single by Graci Guenther (Pekin, Illinois). Savannah Powers (Volo, Illinois) put the Scots up 1-0 with a double to right before two outs ended the inning.
Marietta answered in the second against Alyssa Hefflefinger (Olin, Iowa) with an unearned run on a double and an error. Three more singles and a double put the Pioneers on top 4-1 before Hefflefinger stranded the bases loaded with a strikeout.
Powers led off the third inning with a solo home run, her third of the season. Mackenzie Gerard (Jacksonville, Illinois) reached on an error and Maddie Hepner (Alexis, Illinois) singled. Elizabeth Waymire (Havana, Illinois) walked to load the bases and a 2-out single by Karliegh Ashby (Monmouth, Illinois) tied the game. With the bases full, Cunningham was hit by a pitch, scoring Brooklyn Millhollin (Peoria, Illinois) for a 5-4 lead.
In the fourth inning, Gerard singled with one out and Hepner walked. Millhollin walked to load the bases and Alexis Hardy (Rushville, Illinois) walked to put the Scots on top 6-4 as Gerard scored.
Neither team scored until the bottom of the sixth. The Pioneers led off with a walk and two singles to load the bases. With one out, two runs scored on an error, tying the game and leaving runners at second and third. Another error on the infield plated two runs as the Pioneers took an 8-6 lead.
The Scots went in order in the seventh as Marietta picked up the 8-6 win. Hefflefinger (1-1) threw a complete game but took the loss. She allowed no earned runs and struck out eight while walking two.
GAME TWO
The Prairie Wolves scored in the top of the first against Monmouth starter Addie Greene (Rushville, Illinois). Three straight 2-out singles plated a run before a flyout stranded two.
Monmouth put the first two batters on base in the second as Powers singled and Gerard walked. UNW got out of the jam with a pop up, strikeout and groundout to keep their 1-0 lead.
The Prairie Wolves broke the game open in the third with five runs. A leadoff walk, stolen base and single put two on. Three more singles each plated runs and the Scots trailed 4-0 when Lydia Overcash (Farmington, Illinois) took over in the circle. Two straight RBI groundouts made it 6-0 before a strikeout ended the inning,
Kayleigh Cobb (Pawnee, Illinois) came on in relief in the fifth inning. An error, stolen base and wild pitch put a runner on third and UNW made it 7-0 with a 1-out single. The Prairie Wolves added seven more runs in the sixth to run-rule the Scots 14-0
Greene (0-2) took the loss, allowing six runs on seven hits in two innings as she walked one. Overcash threw two shutout innings in relief and Cobb allowed eight runs, seven earned, on seven hits in two innings.
MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Powers has hit safely in all six games this season and leads the Scots with three homers … She has four multi-RBI games and 12 runs driven in … Ashby’s five-game hit streak ended in game two … She had her fourth multi-hit game of the season against Marietta … Hefflefinger has nine career complete games … Ariel Martinez (Galesburg, Illinois) pinch hit against UNW, making her college debut with a groundout … The Scots had just two hits in game two … All eight runs in game one were unearned,. … Monmouth lost to both teams last year in Florida … Marietta leads the all-time series 3-0 and UNW leads 3-1 … The Scots will play Rivier at 3:45 p.m. CT on Monday and Fitchburg State at 6 p.m. CT … After eight games in Florida, the home opener is a DH against Loras at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 21.
The Monmouth College baseball team picked up their first win of the season on Sunday, holding on for an 8-7 victory over Thiel College. The Fighting Scots (1-7) put 10 hits on the board from seven different players to knock off the Comets (0-5).
“A team win today and much needed for us,” said head coach Alan Betourne. “We were able to cash in today with runners in scoring position and there’s a lot for us to build on.”
The Scots left a runner at second base in the second inning and Thiel took the lead against Brandon Coats (Mapleton, Illinois) in the bottom of the inning. A leadoff hit batter and two singles put the Tomcats on top 1-0 before they left two in scoring position.
The Tomcats added two more in the third, spurred by a leadoff walk. After a passed ball, single and hit batter loaded the bases, two groundouts scored runs for a 3-0 lead.
Jacob Blunck (Forsyth, Illinois) singled with one out in the fourth and Jace Wilkerson (East Peoria, Illinois) also singled to right to put two on. Cade Farquer (Williamsfield, Illinois) delivered his first career double and RBI as both runners scored on a ball in the right-center gap. Gabriel Zeigler-Harris (East Peoria, Illinois) reached on an error with two outs and moved up on a wild pitch to put two in scoring position.Aidan Parkins (Monmouth, Illinois) came through with a clutch hit and put the Scots on top 4-3 with a 2-run single to left.
Thiel left the bases loaded in the fifth and the Scots quickly extended the lead. Wilkerson reached on a throwing error and scored from second on Farquer’s second double of the game. Jon-Marc Torrez (San Angelo, Texas) bunted Farquer to third and Zeigler-Harris walked. Zeigler-Harris stole second and Parkins delivered again with a single up the middle to score two for a 7-3 lead. Eric Campen (Washington, Illinois) singled and after a double steal, Aiden Scott (Carrollton, Texas) singled home a run for an 8-3 lead.
Coats hit a batter to start the sixth and after a one-out single he gave way to Owen Alford (Hopedale, Illinois). Another hit batter loaded the bases and a sacrifice fly cut the Monmouth lead to 8-4.
A walk, hit batter and single loaded the bases for Thiel in the seventh. A double plated two and put the tying run in scoring position with nobody out. Caleb Ochs (Royal, Illinois) came out of the bullpen and a sacrifice fly pulled the Tomcats within one.
“Coats was strong early and we got him out of a jam later,” said Betourne. “Ochs and Ryan got it done at the end in some high stress situations.”
Clayton Matkovic (Sherrard, Illinois) doubled in the eighth to put two in scoring position but the Scots couldn’t add on. Zeigler-Harris made a diving catch in the bottom of the eighth and Ochs stranded a pair to get the score at 8-7.
Ryan Garofoli (Chicago, Illinois) took over on the mound in the ninth. A one-out walk and single put the tying and winning runs on base. Garofoli got a strikeout for the second out before a wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position. A flyout to center ended the game with the Scots winning 8-7.
Coats (1-1) earned the win, allowing four runs on five hits over 5 1/3 innings while striking out two and hitting six. Alford allowed three runs on two hits with one walk and two hit batters in 2/3 of an inning. Ochs threw two shutout innings with one hit allowed and one walk issued. Garofoli picked up his first career save with a scoreless inning as he allowed one hit, walked one and struck out one.
MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Farquer had a hit in Florida last year and delivered his first career RBI in his second career start … He finished with three RBI and two doubles … Parkins had his first multi-RBI game of the season … He also drove in four runs on April 18, 2025 against Cornell … Parkins, Farquer and Matkovic all had two hits … Matkovic has five multi-hit games on the season while Parkins has fourZeigler-Harris stole his first base of the season and a double steal by Parkins and Campen makes the Scots 7-for-7 as a team on the year … Parkins has 12 career stolen bases … Matkovic has 20 career doubles … Torrez made his college debut when he took over behind the plate in the second inning … Monmouth pitching last hit eight batters in a game in 2023 at Augustana … Coats hit four batters all of last season before hitting six on Sunday … The teams last met in 2023, a 3-1 Monmouth win … The teams also played in Florida in 2011, 2012 and 2015 with the Scots holding a 4-1 advantage … Monmouth plays a double header against Kenyon College at 10 a.m. ET/9 a.m. CT on Monday … After nine games in Florida for spring break, the Scots play the home opener on Monday, March 16 against Maranatha Baptist.
***Both Stories Courtesy of Nathan Baliva, Monmouth College***
