Picture credit to Emilee Strine (Athletes in Action)

 

XENIA SCOUTS  9  MICHGIAN MONARCHS  2  -  FINAL

GRADY’S FIELD - The Xenia Scouts climbing into the first place spot in the GLSCL South Division standings with a 9-2 victory over the Michigan Monarchs.

 

The Scouts (5-4) take the first game of the series over the visiting Monarchs with strong pitching and a 15-hit offensive attack.

 

Nick Rodriguez (Wiley College) pitched six shutout innings while improving his record to a league best 3-0. Rodriguez gave up just four hits while striking out four batters and giving up just one walk.

 

Gus Gandy (Samford University) led the way offensively for the Scouts going 4-for-5 at the plate with two RBIs and three scored. The slick fielding shortstop is now hitting .429 for the season which good for second best in the GLSCL this season.

 

Aydan Alsobrooks (East Mississippi College) went 3-for-4 and was just a home run shy of the cycle with a single, double and a triple.

 

Will Sharp (Central Washington) also contributed three hits and Will Lawrence (Samford University) went 2-for-4 with three RBIs.

 

The Monarchs (7-3) were held scoreless until the eighth inning when Kenny McKinley (Middle Tennessee State) led off the inning with a solo home run. Bren Wilkinson (Cal State Northridge) produced the second run when he reached base on a walk. Wilkinson stole second and then third base scoring on a fielder’s choice.

 

J.T. Spears (Harding University) pitched the ninth inning striking out two batters securing the win for the Scouts.

 

The Joes (5-5) are now in a second place tie along with Southern Ohio in the GLSCL South Division standings just half a game behind the Xenia Scouts.

 

Despite its second straight loss, the Locos (7-2) remain atop of the GLSCL North Division standings half a game in front of the Michigan Monarchs.

 

The same two teams return to Grady’s Field at Brown Stadium for the middle game of the series on Wednesday with first pitch scheduled for 7:05pm.

 

 

HAMILTON JOES  11  LIMA LOCOS  7  -  FINAL

SIMMONS FIELD - The Hamilton Joes and the Lima Locos renewed its spirited rivalry when the Joes traveled to Simmons Field leaving with an 11-7 victory.

 

The Joes jumped out to a big lead having to hold off the Locos late inning comeback.

 

Hamilton exploded for seven runs in the second inning jumping out to a 7-1 advantage. A two-single by Jackson Wang (Wabash Valley) followed by a two-double for Miguel Correa (Eastern Michigan commit) were the big blows in the inning. 

 

The Locos chipped away scoring single runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings.

 

Hamilton was enjoying an 11-4 when the Locos closed the gap. Lima scored two runs in the seventh inning narrowing the deficit to 11-6.

 

In the bottom of the ninth, Joes reliever Matty Helms (Northern Kentucky transfer) was brought to close. Helms struggled consistently throwing strikes giving the Locos fans hope for a comeback.

 

After walking the first two batters leading off the inning, Helms recorded a strikeout for the first out of the inning. Helms then issued back-to-back walks forcing in Braydon Kersey (Mercer University) home from third base.

 

This bought the tying run to the plate when Helms suddenly found his control. He struck out Luke Mottola (Central Florida) for the second out. Helms then induced Brecken Menuet (Louisiana Tech) into a groundout stranding the bases loaded and completing the winning transaction for the Joes.

 

The two teams return to Simmons Field on Wednesday for the middle game of the series with first pitch expected for 7:05pm.

 

 

MUSKEGON CLIPPERS  13  SOUTHERN OHIO COPPERHEADS  0  -  FINAL/7 Innings 

BOB WREN STADIUM - The Muskegon Clippers snapped a four-game losing skid in style with a 13-0 mercy-rule victory on the road over the Southern Ohio Copperheads.

 

The Clippers (2-8) ambushed the Copperheads (5-5) scoring six runs in the second inning and three more in the third taking an early 9-0 advantage.

 

Nolan Zajac (Western Michigan) and Jack Bakus (Lansing CC) bookended the six-run second inning with a pair of two-run singles. 

 

Muskegon scored three times in the third inning only needed one hit. A bases loaded walk and a wild pitch scored the first two runs. Ben Meyers (Lake Michigan College), who reached after being hit a pitch, later crossed the pay station on a sacrifice fly from newcomer Ethan Delgado (Ecclesia College).

 

Delgado produced the mercy-run clinching run with an RBI-single in the sixth inning driving in Zajac from third base.

 

The Clippers scored three insurance runs in the seventh inning putting the game further out of reach.

 

Two Muskegon pitchers combined for the shutout. Colton Blankstrom (Davenport University) went the first five and 2/3 innings scattering four hits. Maxwell Salas (Northwood University) recorded the final four outs notching three strikeouts.

 

The Copperheads could only muster six hits total with Brendan Willadsen (Adrian College) accounting for half them by himself. Willadsen went 3-for-3 at the plate with three singles. 

 

The loss for Southern Ohio (5-5) knocks the Copperheads out of first place in the GLSCL South Division standings a half game behind the Xenia Scouts.

 

The series concludes in Athens on Wednesday with a double header that is scheduled to begin at 4:05pm.

 

 

FLAG CITY SLUGGERS  6  GRAND LAKE MARINERS  1  -  FINAL

MONTGOMERY FIELD - The Flag City Sluggers won its fourth consecutive game, all on the road, with a 6-1 victory over the Grand Lake Mariners at Montgomery Field.

 

The Sluggers’ (4-6) 12-hit attack was powered by two of the hottest hitters in the GLSCL.

 

Harrison Engskov (Arkansas State transfer), who leads the league with a .441 batting average, went 3-for-3 at the plate with two doubles, three runs scored, an RBI and a stolen base. Engskov was recently announced as the GLSCL Player of the Week.

 

Tanner Powell (South Arkansas CC) was even better going 4-for-4 and was pitch by a pitch reaching base in all five of his plate appearances. Powell doesn’t have enough at bats to currently qualify in the batting average race but is currently hitting .524 going 11-for-21 at the plate in seven games played. 

 

Four Flag City pitchers combined to hold the Mariners to one run on just five hits. Weston Speir (Three Rivers CC) got the start going the first three innings. Ryan Miezin (Lincoln Trail) was the first pitcher out of the bullpen earning the victory. Aidan Murphy (Wabash Valley College) and Jacob Sams (Central Florida) each pitched two innings closing it out for the Sluggers.

 

The Mariners (4-6) scored its only run in the fourth inning. Brandon Lang (Southwestern University) was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on an RBI-single by Chase Alwardt (University of Indianapolis). 

 

The two teams meet again on Wednesday in Celina with first pitch scheduled for 6:36pm at Montgomery Field.

 

 

ABOUT THE GREAT LAKES SUMMER COLLEGIATE LEAGUE 

The Great Lakes Summer Collegiate, founded in 1987, is a wood-bat league that is certified by the NCAA and is partially funded by Major League Baseball. The GLSCL is a non-profit 501(c)(3) entity that is one of 12 members of the National Alliance of Collegiate Summer Baseball (NACSB). The league currently consists of 8 active franchises in Ohio and Michigan boasting several players that have earned service time in major league baseball.