Picture credit to Lydia Fields

 

GRAND LAKE MARINERS  3  MICHIGAN MONARCHS  2  -  FINAL

MONTGOMERY FIELD - The Grand Lake Mariners walked it off with a pair of ninth inning runs beating the first place Michigan Monarchs 3-2 on Sunday evening.

 

The win gives the Mariners (6-8) the series victory winning out of the three games over the weekend.

 

The Mariners trailed 2-1 going into the last of the ninth inning. Isaac Sobieszczyk (Bradley  University) was hit by a pitch leading off and was pinch run for by Bret Perry (University of Indianapolis).

 

One out later, Austyn Peak’s (Morehead State) triple to left field scoring Perry tied the game 2-2.

 

Ty O’Brien (University of Toledo) became the hero when he smashed a ball down the line past the driving attempt by Monarchs third baseman Keegan Knupp (Eastern Michigan). Peak was able to stroll home with the winning run giving the Mariners its second one-run win of the series.

 

The game was a scoreless pitcher’s duel into the sixth inning when the Monarchs were first to cross the pay station.

 

Michigan has runners on the corners when Benjamin Brittingham (Hanover College) grounded into a double play, however, Bren Wilkinson (Cal State Northridge transfer) was able to score from third base on the play.

 

The Monarchs extended its lead to 2-0 in the top of the seventh. Kenny McKinley (Middle Tennessee State) singled, stole second base advancing to third on a wild pitch. Knupp drove McKinley home with an RBI-single.

 

Grand Lake scored a run in the bottom of the seventh cutting to 2-1. The Mariners had runners on first and third when the Monarchs brought in Reece Omodio (Kalamazoo College) out of the bullpen for his season debut.

 

Omodio’s first pitch was a come backer off the bat of Peak (Morehead State). Omodio fielded it cleanly, appear to want to throw to second but instead come home with throw. Sobieszczyk beat the throw home scoring the Mariners first run. 

 

Both teams benefited from strong starting pitching.

 

Alex Dicke (Spring Hill College) gave up just one hit and one unearned run in six innings for the Mariners but didn’t figure in the decision. Justin Bultemeier (IU Kokomo transfer) pitched the final three innings earning the victory giving up just one runs on two hits while striking out four batters.

 

The Monarchs sent out its ace Matthew Hubbard (University of Toledo) who went the first six and 1/3 innings giving up just one run on two hits with four strikeouts.

 

Despite the loss the Monarchs (9-6) remains atop of the GLSCL North Division standings. Michigan returns home Tuesday beginning a three-game home series against the Southern Ohio Copperheads at Hillsdale College.

 

The Mariners renew the GLSCL’s oldest rivalry taking on the Lima Locos Tuesday at Simmons Field.

 

 

SOUTHERN OHIO COPPERHEADS  14  LIMA LOCOS  8  -  FINAL

SIMMONS FIELD - The Southern Ohio Copperheads won a three-plus hour slugfest on the road, clinching the series victory, beating the Lima Locos 14-8 at Simmons Field. 

 

Each team produced double digit hits combining for a total of 25 hits. 

 

Tylan Graves (Southwest Tennessee CC) was the heavy bat in the Copperheads lineup. Graves drove in a GLSCL season high six RBI’s while going 3-for-5 and scoring three runs. The Southern Ohio third baseman hit his first home run of the season in the fourth inning.

 

Haruta Endo (Minnesota West CC) and Brock Miller (Cuyahoga CC) joined Graves with three hits each on the game for the Copperheads. 

 

Southern Ohio (7-8) put up crooked numbers in each of the third, fourth in fifth innings. The five-run fifth staggered Lima as the Copperheads held an 11-2 lead at the time.

 

The Locos (8-6) made a comeback but unfortunately it fell up short in front of its home fans. Lima scored three runs in the sixth, twice in the seventh and one more in the eighth.

 

Lima catcher Evan Holstein (Kennesaw State) was 2-for-3 at the plate for the Locos with three RBIs.

 

Southern Ohio travels to Hillsdale College next week for a three-game series against the first place Michigan Monarchs.

 

The Locos, who sit a half game behind the Monarchs in the GLSCL North Division standings, renew the oldest rivalry in the league with a three-game series against the Grand Lake Mariners.

 

 

XENIA SCOUTS  7  MUSKEGON CLIPPERS  5  -  FINAL

MARSH FIELD - The Xenia Scouts move into the top spot of the GLSCL South Division standings with a 7-5 road win over the Muskegon Clippers on Sunday at Marsh Field.

 

The Scouts (8-6) win the weekend series and are now a half game ahead of the Hamilton Joes going into Monday’s off day.

 

Xenia took a 2-1 lead the third inning never trailing in the game for the rest of the day.

 

Kaden Wu (Gateway CC) led of the inning tying the score with a solo home run, his first of the season. Johnathan Jackson (Harding University) scored the go ahead run thanks to an RBI-single by Caleb Webster (Tusculum University).

 

The Scouts stretched its lead to 6-1 in the fourth with three consecutive runs producing hits.

 

Noah Manasan (Arizona Christian University) delivered a single to center field driving in Troy Lynch (University of Minnesota Duluth). Back-to-doubles by Jackson and Gus Gandy (Samford University) brought in three more runs. Jackson drove in Carter Hennon (Georgia Southwestern State University) while Manasan and Jackson scored on Gandy’s two-bagger.

 

The Clippers narrowed the deficit to 6-3 in the bottom of the fourth inning. Casey Joppie (Saginaw Valley State) delivered with his second run scoring hit of the game, this one a two-run single driving in Jackson Isaacs (Kalamazoo College) and Davis Weeks (Michigan State University).

 

Muskegon (5-10) made the margin even closer starting with an RBI-single in the seventh by Isaacs chasing home Connor Kelly (Northwood University). Kelly singled in the eighth allowing Casey Barnes (University of Northwestern Ohio) to score on one Xenia’s six errors on the game.

 

With the score 6-5 going into the ninth inning, the Scouts scored a valuable insurance run. Gandy scored on and RBI-single by Lynch giving Xenia a 7-5 advantage.

 

Danny Slaske (The Master’s University), a lefty side winder came in finish it off in the ninth for the Scouts. Slaske made it a white knuckle ride walking the first two Clippers batters. Slaske bounced back striking out the side earning his first save of the season.

 

The Scouts return home to Grady’s Field at Brown Stadium hosting the upstart Flag City Sluggers. 

 

The Clippers remain home beginning a three-game series on Tuesday against the Hamilton Joes in a rematch of the 2024 GLSCL Championship Series.

 

 

FLAG CITY SLUGGERS  7  HAMILTON JOES  6  -  FINAL

FOUNDATION FIELD - The Flag City Sluggers go on the road clinching the series victory with a 7-6 win over the Hamilton Joes.

 

Flag City (7-7) has to currently be considered the hottest team in the GLSCL. After dropping it first six games of the season the Sluggers record in its next eight games sits at 7-1.

 

The Sluggers struck first with a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. Will Lafferty (Marshall University) trotted in for the game’s first run on a sacrifice fly by Andrew Stechschulte (Ohio Northern). Caleb Smith (Three Rivers CC) followed with and RBI-single driving in Tanner Powell (South Arkansas CC).

 

After the Joes answered with a run in the third, the Sluggers struck again, this time with four runs in the fourth inning. 

 

Chris Franks (Ashland University) dropped a little duck snort into shallow left field falling between four Hamilton defenders. Brayden Curlis (Bowling Green State) scored on the the play from third base.

 

Powell followed with a two-run single driving in Franks and Matt Gardner (Little Rock). A costly Hamilton error allowed Powell to score giving the Sluggers a 6-1 advantage.

 

Hamilton closed the gap eventually making it a one-run game. The comeback attempt started by scoring three runs in the six inning. 

 

Flag City answered with a run in the eighth when Smith double scoring Lafferty making it a 7-4 game.

 

The Joes scored twice in the eighth starting with an RBI-groundout by Diego DeCello (Marietta College) driving home Christopher Roa (Miami University) from third base. Travis Yankovich (Lake Erie College) eventually scored from third on a passed ball but the rally stalled with Hamilton still trialing 7-6.

 

Cooper Ashby (Redlands CC) came in for the Sluggers to close it out in the ninth. The Joes put a pair of base runners aboard with two outs. Ashby forced a groundout to shortstop ending the threat giving Flag City the win.

 

The Sluggers head to Grady’s Field taking on the first place Xenia Scouts for the start of a three-game series.

 

Hamilton (8-7) travels to Muskegon for the a rematch of the 2024 GLSCL Championship Series against the Clippers starting a three-game set on Tuesday.

 

 

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.