Picture credit to Dominic Carpenter

MICHIGAN MONARCHS  8  GRAND LAKE MARINERS  4 -  FINAL

MONTGOMERY FIELD - The Michigan Monarchs bounced back after dropping the series opener with an 8-4 road win over the Grand Lake Mariners at Montgomery Stadium.

 

The Monarchs (9-5) remain a half game ahead of the second place Lima Locos atop of the GLSCL North division standings.

 

Michigan scored three runs in the top of the first never trailing in the game. 

 

Christian Holmes (UIC transfer) delivered an RBI-single driving home Manny Gutierrez (Henry Ford CC) for the game’s first run. Justin Best (University of New Orleans) followed with a two-run single bringing Holmes and Kenny McKinley (Middle Tennessee State) across the pay station.

 

The Monarchs scored three more times in the fourth inning extending its advantage to 7-0.

 

McKinley’s RBI-double scored Wyatt Epple (Davenport University) who had stolen both second and third base after reaching on a fielder’s choice. Keegan Knupp (Eastern Michigan) provided an RBI-single and Best was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded forcing home McKinley.

 

The Mariners (5-8) offense did come up with 12 hits on the night but couldn’t come up with a big inning to overcome the deficit. Isaac Sobieszczyk (Bradley University) provided the most productive spark going 2-for-4 with a solo home run and an RBI-double.

 

McKinley finished the game 3-for-4 with a single and double scoring three runs and driving in two RBIs.

 

The series will be decided on Sunday afternoon at Montgomery Field when the rubber game is played in Celina at 4:05pm.

 

 

LIMA LOCOS  12  SOUTHERN OHIO COPPERHEADS  6 -  FINAL

SIMMONS FIELD - The Lima Locos used a power surge including five home runs defeating the Southern Ohio Copperheads 12-6 at Simmons Field. The win for the Locos snapped a five-game losing streak evening the evening series to one win for each team.

 

Braydon Kersey (Mercer University) smashed a pair of home runs for the Locos upping his total to five on the season. Kersey became the first GLSCL player since Justin Osterhouse (Muskegon Clippers vs. Monarchs, July 23, 2024) to hit a pair of home runs in game. Kersey now leads the GLSCL with five round trippers on the season.

 

Lima (8-5) went on the attack early scoring five runs in the bottom of the first inning. Kersey started the scoring assault with a three-run home following by a two-run bomb off the bat of Cole Crafton (University of Louisville).

 

Crafton came back to the plate in the second inning smacking a two-run single. Charlie Vercruysse (Notre Dame transfer) and Kersey scored on the play ballooning the Locos lead to 7-0.

 

The Copperheads (6-8) got off the mat scoring two unearned runs in the third inning. That was followed by an RBI-single by Nathan Koster (Alpena CC) in the fourth driving home Derek Occhipinti (University of Akron).

 

David Falloon (Mercer University) hit a two run bomb for the Locos in the fifth inning. 

 

In the sixth Matt Rose (South Florida) and Kersey hit back-to-back home runs. Grant McGuire (Winthrop University) hit a sacrifice fly later in the inning driving in Crafton for a 12-3 Locos advantage.

 

Southern Ohio narrowed the gap scoring three runs in the ninth inning. Ronnie Rowley (Hocking College) delivered an RBI-single driving in Alex Taylor (Ohio University). Occhipinti followed with a two-single bringing in Rowley and Jack Ferguson (Indiana Tech).

 

The rally and the game ended when Lima reliever William Bourk (Adrian College) recorded the final out snapping the Locos game-game skid.

 

Kersey finished the game 3-for-4 with a double, two homers, four RBIs and three runs scored.

 

Crafton’s night was a bit overshadowed as he went 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs. Falloon also has two hits including his second homer of the season.

 

Anthony Lariz (Central Florida) pitched four shutout innings of relief earning the victory. Lairz struck out four batters while scattering three hits improving his record to 2-0 on the summer.

 

The rubber game of the series takes place Sunday evening at Simmons Field with first pitch scheduled for 5:05pm.

 

 

HAMILTON JOES  17  FLAG CITY SLUGGERS  10 -  FINAL

MARATHON DIAMONDS - The Flag City Sluggers had its six-game winning streak snapped in a wild four hour game falling 17-10 to the first place Hamilton Joes at Marathon Diamonds.  

 

The Joes scored in seven of the nine innings starting with a five-run first inning. The early deficit was too much for Flag City to overcome despite scoring in double digits.

 

There were many offensive heroes for Hamilton, who totaled 17 hits, beginning with Brent Denby (Georgia Tech). Denby was 3-for-4 and just a home run shy of hitting for the cycle. The Joes second baseman notched a single, double and a triple while scoring four runs and drove in three RBIs.

 

Gio Melchione (UNLV) went 3-for-6 with two runs scored. Miguel Correa (Central Michigan commit) drove in a game-high four RBIs.

 

The Sluggers (6-7) used nine hits in route to scoring its 10 runs. Matt Gardner (Little Rock) and Cameron Baker (Lincoln Trail) contributed with two hits apiece.

 

The Joes (8-6) remain in first place atop of the GLSCL South Division standings. Hamilton is just half a game in front of the second place Xenia Scouts.

 

The series shifts to Hamilton on Sunday night with the series victory on the line with the Joes hosting the Sluggers at Foundation Field beginning at 7:05pm.

 

 

XENIA SCOUTS  14  MUSKEGON CLIPPERS  2 -  FINAL/8 Innings

MARSH FIELD - The Xenia Scouts sent everyone home early from Marsh Field with a 14-2 mercy-rule victory over the Muskegon Clippers on Saturday night.

 

The game was tied 2-2 going into the sixth inning when the Xenia bats caught fire.

 

Muskegon starting pitcher Aidan Pearson (Purdue Fort Wayne) was phenomenal through the first five innings. Pearson piled up a GLSCL season-high 12 strikeouts in five an 1/3 innings of work. 

 

Pearson’s 12 strikeouts were the most in a regular season game in the GLSCL since Grand Lake’s Gibson Adema struck out 12 Southern Ohio Copperheads last year on July 4.

 

Muskegon’s Keegan Batka recorded 14 strikeouts last season in a playoff game against the Michigan Monarchs.

 

The most strikeouts in a GLSCL game since 2011 is 16 by Dusty Issacs of Hamilton in 2011 and Cory Wilder of the Lima Locos in 2014.

 

Unfortunately, Pearson ran into trouble in the sixth inning, eventually being tagged with the loss despite a great effort.

 

Xenia loaded the bases taking the lead 4-2 on the a two-run double by Rolen Reyes (Westmont College).

 

The Clippers (5-9) went to its bullpen bringing in Connor Kelly (Northwood University). Kelly struck out the first batter he faced for the second out of the inning. Next up was Carter Hennon (Georgia Southwestern State) who singled to center field driving in Troy Lynch (University of Minnesota Duluth). Reyes also scored on the play thanks to a throwing error by the Muskegon centerfielder.

 

The Scouts (7-6) batted around adding five more runs in the seventh inning putting the game out of reach. Reyes delivered the big blow in the with a two-run single to right field.

 

Reyes finished the game going 2-for-4 with a season high five RBIs.

 

In the eighth inning the Scouts added three more runs making the score 14-2. The Clippers would need to score three runs in the bottom of the eighth to avoid the mercy-rule ending.

 

Xenia brought in Will Lawrence (Samford University) to close it out on the mound. Lawrence walked the leadoff hitter but then promptly struck out the side for the Scouts victory.

 

The weekend series wraps up Sunday with the rubber game being played at Marsh Field with first pitch set for 5:05pm.

 

 

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.