Picture credit to Maggie English

 

FLAG CITY SLUGGERS  13  MICHIGAN MONARCHS  8   -  FINAL  

MARATHON DIAMONDS - The Flag City Sluggers continue to stay hot clinching the series victory with a 13-8 win over the Michigan Monarchs at Marathon Diamonds.

 

Flag City continues to enjoy one of the biggest turnarounds in recent GLSCL history. After an 0-6 start, the Sluggers have complied a 12-4 record and are now in second place in the GLSCL North Division standings.

 

Flag City was lead by first baseman Harrison Engskov (Arkansas State transfer). He went 3-for-5 at the plate with a double and three runs scored. Engskov finished the night hitting .400 for the season leading the GLSCL in batting average.

 

CLICK HERE for postgame interview with Harrison Engskov.

 

The Sluggers (12-10) scored early and often in this one putting up three unearned runs in the bottom of the first inning.

 

The Monarchs (12-12) answered with three runs of its own tying the score 3-3 in the second inning. Wyatt Epple’s (Davenport University) two-run double driving in Zach Freitag (Macomb CC) and Cannon Paul (Western Michigan) tied the game.

 

Flag City recaptured the lead scoring single runs each in the third and fourth innings.

 

The Sluggers blew the game open in the fifth inning sending ten batters to the plate scoring six runs. Flag City recorded five consecutive singles in the inning as part of its 16-hit attack during the game.

 

Cameron Baker (Lincoln Trail) was one of six Sluggers batters with a multi-hit game. Baker’s two hits came with a double and a team-high three RBIs.

 

The Monarchs narrowed the gap scoring four runs in the seventh inning but could only get as close as to a four-run deficit.

 

Justin Best (University of New Orleans) was 3-for-5 with two RBIs and a stolen base for the Monarchs.

 

The Sluggers make the short commute to Lima on Fourth July taking on the first place Locos at Simmons Field with a special 6:05pm start time.

 

The Monarch begin a three-game series against the Muskegon Clippers at Marsh Field. 

 

 

MUSKEGON CLIPPERS  8  LIMA LOCOS  7 -  Suspended in Bottom of 8th - FINAL in Sudden Death

MARSH FIELD - The Lima Locos and the Michigan Monarchs picked up its suspended game where it left off the night before with the Clippers wining 8-7 in sudden death.

 

The Clippers trailed 7-6 and were at bat with two runners on base in the bottom of the eighth when the game was halted on Wednesday night.

 

Lima recorded the final out of that eight inning. However, the news wasn’t as good when the Clippers came to the plate in the ninth.

 

Casey Joppie lead off the inning reaching base when he was hit by a pitch. Joppie came around to score the tying run on a double off the bat of Ethan Delgado.

 

Locos reliever Johnathon Allen came in out of the bullpen recording the final two outs sending the game into extra innings.

 

After both teams failed to score in the tenth inning, the game went into the sudden death tiebreaker.

 

Casey Head (Chattanooga State Tech) was the hero for the Clippers delivering an RBI-single scoring Ben Meyers (Lake Michigan College) second base for the victory.

 

 

LIMA LOCOS  4  MUSKEGON CLIPPERS  1 -  FINAL/7 Innings 

MARSH FIELD - The Lima Locos regrouped between games gaining the the series victory taking down the Muskegon Clippers 4-1 in the regularly scheduled game.

 

The game was a seven-inning game after the resumption of the suspended game from the night before as per GLSCL rules.

 

The Locos benefitted from a nice pitching performance from starter Nick Kolze (Purdue University). Kolze tossed a seven-inning complete game only giving up one run on one-hit with five strikeouts and three walks.

 

Kolze’s only blemish was an RBI-single by Muskegon’s Nolan Zajac (Western Michigan) driving in Braden Graves (Chattanooga State Tech).

 

Lima spread its nine hits pretty evenly throughout its batting order. The high spot was Grant McGuire (Winthrop University) going 2-for-4 and hitting his first home run of the season. 

 

The Locos (16-7) remain atop of the GSLCL North Division with the league’s best record. The Locos return to Simmons Field on Fourth of July hosting the Flag City Sluggers.

 

Muskegon (9-15) stays home for the holiday playing host to its in-state rival Michigan Monarchs.

 

 

SOUTHERN OHIO COPPERHEADS  10  XENIA SCOUTS  9 -  FINAL in Sudden Death

GRADY’S FIELD - The Southern Ohio Copperheads avoided being swept with a sudden death victory over the first place Xenia Scouts on Thursday night on Grady’s Field at Browne Stadium.

 

The game was a back-and-fourth affair with three ties and five lead changes.

 

Scouts pinch runner Mason Blasche (Samford University) scored from third base in the bottom of the ninth inning on a wild pitch tying the game 9-9.

 

The game went into extra innings with both teams failing to score in the tenth inning forcing the sudden death 11th inning.

 

The Copperheads went to the plate needing to score for a win while the Scouts only needed to prevent allowing the game winning run to secure the victory.

 

With two outs and runners on the corners, Jackson Kale (LeTourneau University) was jammed on the pitch making contact on the bat close to his hands. Kale was able to push the ball past a diving attempt by Xenia second basemen Bo Solley (Rollins College) into right field allowing Brendan Willadsen (Adrian College) to easily score the winning run from third base.

 

Jacob Ruiz (Ohlone College) pitched the final three innings for the Copperheads surviving to earn the victory.

 

The Scouts had a number of standout performers at the plate but it wasn’t enough to extend its four-game winning steak and sweep the series.

 

Johnathan Jackson (Harding University) went 4-for-5 with three scored and a stolen base. 

 

Newcomer Jacob Souders (Samford University) was 3-for-6 with a double, a stolen base and three RBIs.

 

For the Copperheads, Ronnie Rowley (Hocking College) was 3-for-6 with a triple and two stolen bases. Rowley continues to lead the GLSCL in stolen bases with 21 on the season.

 

Tylan Graves (Southwest Tennessee CC) hit is second home run of the season and Willadsen scored four runs in the game.

 

The Copperheads (9-14) will stay in Southwest Ohio traveling to Hamilton for the Joes annual Fourth of July celebration at Foundation Field. 

 

The Scouts (14-9) will take it’s first place record to Celina taking on the Grand Lake Mariners at Montgomery Field.

 

HAMILTON JOES  8  GRAND LAKE MARINERS  3  -  FINAL

FOUNDATION FIELD - The Hamilton Joes sweep the series with the Grand Lake Mariners after an 8-3 victory at Foundation Field.

 

The Mariners took an early 1-0 when Sage Adams (Purdue Fort Wayne) scored on an RBI-single by Austyn Peak (Morehead State).

 

The Joes countered by scoring four runs in the third inning and never looked back. 

 

Christopher Roa (Miami University) got that rally started with an RBI-single driving in Mark Rutherford (University of Dayton). Jaxson Christ (Lake Erie College) delivered a two-run double and then scored on a base hit by Brett Denby (Wright State).

 

Michael Bilo (George Mason) continues to give the Joes strong staring pitching going seven innings improving his record to 4-1 on the season. He gave up just one run on six hits while striking out five batters. Bilo lowered his GLSCL-best ERA to 0.98 on the season while also leading the league four wins.

 

The Joes (13-11) who started the week with a below .500 record seemed to have regained its bearings. Hamilton will host the Southern Ohio Copperheads beginning a weekend holiday series on the Fourth of July.

 

The Mariners (8-15) will go home trying to get right but will have to do so by hosting the first place Xenia Scouts.