Picture credit to Maddie Fleck

 

LIMA LOCOS  14  GRAND LAKE MARINERS  2  -  FINAL/7 Innings

MONTGOMERY FIELD - The Lima Locos wasted no time jumping out in front early on its way to a 14-2 run-rule victory over the Grand Lake Mariners at Montgomery Field.

 

The Locos (11-6) sweep the series against the Mariners (6-11) staying a half game ahead of the pace in the GLSCL North Division standings.

 

Lima continued the offensive momentum from the previous night’s 13-run ninth inning by scoring three times in the top of the first inning.

 

Braydon Kersey’s (Mercer University) RBI-single was followed by a two-run homer off the bat of Cole Crafton (Louisville University).

 

The Locos answered with six runs in the third inning putting the game out of reach with a 9-0 advantage.

 

David Falloon (Mercery University) delivered a two-run single driving in Crafton and Grant McGuire (Winthrop University).

 

A pair of infield RBI-singles by Kersey and Reese Borho (Abilene Christian) were also instrumental during the inning.

 

Lima added two runs in the fourth and three more in the fifth inning.

 

Kersey finished the night going 4-for-5 with a three singles, a double, two RBIs and three runs scored. Kersey, who leads the GLSCL with five home runs, is a two-way player at Mercer that threw more innings (45.2) in the spring than plate appearances (27).

 

CLICK HERE to watch a postgame interview with Braydon Kersey.

 

Crafton was a triple shy of the cycle going 3-for-4 with a double, four RBIs and three runs scored. Borho added three hits from the leadoff position of the lineup.

 

Locos starting pitcher Nick Kolze (Purdue University) kept the Grand Lake batters off balance. Kolze went six innings  striking out five batters giving up just one hit through the first five innings.

 

The Mariners finally got to Kolze in the sixth scoring a pair of runs to avoid being shutout in front of its home fans.

 

Jake Lopez (University of Scranton transfer) produced the first run with an RBI single driving in Anthony Girling (Adrian College). Jacob Loving (Palomar College), who doubled to reach base, scored on a sacrifice fly by Salvatore Besztery (University of Rochester).

 

Carter Parks (St. John’s River College), a second-year Locos making his 2025 debut, pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning closing it out the Lima win.

 

The Locos return home Friday night for a weekend face-off against the second place Michigan Monarchs. 

 

Grand Lake remains at home Friday night hosting the Muskegon Clippers at Montgomery Field with first pitch scheduled for 6:35pm. 

 

 

MICHIGAN MONARCHS  10  SOUTHERN OHIO COPPERHEADS  4  -  FINAL

HILLSDALE COLLEGE - The Michigan Monarchs took the midweek series over the Southern Ohio Copperheads with a 10-4 home victory on Thursday night.

 

The Monarchs (11-7) dropped the opener of the series bouncing back to win its second straight game staying just a half game behind the first place Lima Locos in the GLSCL North Division standings.

 

It was a one-run game until Michigan broke it open with a five-run seventh inning. 

 

Jacob Best (University of New Orleans) came to the plate with the bases loaded beating out an infield single. One run scored on the play but a second run crossed the plate on a error. Bren Wilkinson (Cal State Northridge transfer), who advanced to third base ended up later scoring on a wild pitch. 

 

Greg Guzik (Central Michigan) doubled driving in Best with Guzik crossed the pay station on a single by Kooper Etheridge (Madonna University).

 

Monarchs reliever Johnny Stavola (Michigan-Dearborn) pitched the final three and 1/3 innings earning the victory. Stavola, who improved his record 2-1, gave up just one hit and one walk while striking out four batters.

 

Kenny McKinley (Middle State University) went went 2-for-3 at the plate for the Monarchs with a double, two RBIs and three runs score.

 

Ethridge and Manny Gutierrez (Henry Ford CC) each added two hits for Michigan.

 

The Copperheads (8-10) got off to a quick early start taking a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Nic Lembo (High Point) smacked a double driving home Frankie Clark (Eastern Michigan) and Brendan Willadsen (Adrian College).

 

Southern Ohio fell behind but tied the score at 4-4 in the sixth inning when Clark’s RBI-single plated Nathan Koster (Alpena CC).

 

The Monarchs go on the road taking on the Lima Locos in a showdown for first place in the GLSCL North Division. 

 

The Copperheads return to Bob Wren Stadium on Friday hosting the Flag City Sluggers.

 

 

XENIA SCOUTS  1  FLAG CITY SLUGGERS  6  -  FINAL

MARATHON DIAMONDS - The Flag City Sluggers avoided the series sweep with a 6-1 win over the first place Xenia Scouts on Thursday night at Marathon Diamonds.

 

The game was pushed back over 90 minutes due to a major storm that rolled through the Findlay area late in the afternoon.

 

Once the game began, it was the Flag City batters that came out hot. Harrison Engskov (Arkansas State transfer) hit his first home run of the season, a two-run shot in the first inning.

 

As it turned out, those two runs would be all the Sluggers needed for its lead to stand up.

 

Ryan Ruch (Cal State Bakersfield) provided an RBI-double in the second innings scoring Rylan Mills (Southeast Missouri St University).

 

Flag City scored a run in the fourth inning thanks to one of the five errors committed in the game by the Xenia defense.

 

The Sluggers scored a pair of runs after loading the bases and not needing the benefit of a ball put in play. Trey Gardner (Three Rivers CC) scored from third base when his brother Matt Gardner (Little Rock) was hit by a pitch. Mills then scored after being forced home from third base on a walk issued to Bret Reed (Lawrence University).

 

The Scouts scored its only run in the seventh inning. Johnathan Jackson (Harding University) reached on a leadoff single. Jackson reached second on a wild pitch, stole third base scoring on a throwing error during the steal attempt.

 

Xenia was held to just four hits hits against five different Flag City pitchers. Carson Klausing (Judson University) got the start in his season debut pitching four shutout innings. Klausing gave up two hits and three walks while striking out five batters.

 

The Sluggers (8-9) travel to Athens taking on the Southern Ohio Copperheads on Friday for a weekend series.

 

Despite the loss, the Scouts (10-7) hold onto the top spot in the GLSCL South Division standings. Xenia will take on the Hamilton Joes in a battle for the top spot in the division.

 

 

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.