Picture credit to Athletes in Action 

 

XENIA SCOUTS  vs.  FLAG CITY SLUGGERS  -  DH

GRADY’S FIELD - The Xenia Scouts and Flag City Sluggers each made some history while splitting a double header on Grady’s Field at Browne Stadium in Xenia.

 

The Scouts won the first game 5-3 clinching the GLSCL South Division title. It’s the second division title for the Scouts in the last three seasons. Xenia was the GLSCL runner-up in 2023 falling in the championship series to the Lima Locos.

 

The Sluggers bounced back winning the nightcap 6-1 on the back of its newest signee starting pitcher Andrew Onuegbu.

 

The opener was the resumption of a suspended game from the night before in Findlay. The Scouts had runners on first and second base with one out when play resumed.

 

Xenia’s first batter Jacob Winzenread (Oakland City) promptly smacked a double driving in Troy Lynch (University of Minnesota Duluth) home from second base.

 

The Sluggers crossed the pay station three times in the fifth inning taking a 3-1 lead. Hayden Gilmore (Three Rivers CC) reached on a one-out ground run double. Matt Gardner (Little Rock) doubled past the out stretched attempt of Scouts centerfielder Johnathan Jackson (Harding University) driving in Gilmore tying the game 1-1. Flag City took the lead when Brett Reed (Lawrence University) reached on an error and Gardner was able to score on the play. Harrison Engskov (Arkansas State transfer) delivered an RBI-single driving home Reed who scored just ahead of the throw home.

 

Lynch became the hero when he hit an opposite field three run homer in the top of the seventh inning. The two-time GLSCL all-star gave the Scouts a 5-3 lead. Lynch’s third home run of the season was part of 2-for-4 game at the plate with two runs scored.

 

CLICK HERE for the postgame interview with Troy Lynch.

 

Xenia pitching also was part of the story and three Scouts hurlers kept the Sluggers in check.

 

Nolan Phillips (University of St. Thomas), who started the game in Findlay facing three batters, returned for the resumption on Sunday. Phillips went six innings giving up three runs, only one of which was earned, despite not factoring in the decision.

 

Luke Holcomb (Iowa Lakes CC), another Scouts all-star, went two innings out of the bullpen improving his record to 4-0 on the season. Holcomb got himself out of jam when he struck out back-to-back batters ending the seventh inning.

 

J.T. Spears (Harding University) went the final two innings earning his second save of the season.

 

After a brief celebration between games it was back to work for the Scouts in the regularly scheduled game.

 

However, they ran into a buzz saw in the name of Andrew Onuegbu. The right hander just finished his junior college eligibility at Glen Oaks CC has yet to commit to a four-year school.

 

Onuegbu joined the team when he got in the van for the trip to Xenia and was outstanding in his GLSCL debut. He pitched six shutout innings facing just one batter above the minimum while notching five strikeouts.

 

Onuegbu only allowed one base runner to reach second base giving up just one hit, two walks and hit one batter. He forced the Scouts into two double plays and picked off a base runner.

 

CLICK HERE for the postgame interview with Andrew Onuegbu.

 

The Sluggers bats woke up in the nightcap in support of its new teammate. Caleb Smith (Three Rivers CC) and Matt Gardner each went 2-for-4 at the plate. Reed hit a solo homer in the sixth inning, his first round tripper of the season.

 

Xenia goes into the all-star break with a record of 24-15. If  Scouts can win its final three games it will match its franchise record for wins in a season (27) when they won its first ever division title in 2016.

 

The Sluggers (18-19) are not mathematically eliminated from the playoffs but will need to win all four of its remaining games for a chance to grab the final playoff spot out of the GLSCL North Division.

 

 

MICHIGAN MONARCHS  8  SOUTHERN OHIO COPPERHEADS  5  -  FINAL

BOB WREN STADIUM - The Michigan Monarchs won the resumption of the a suspended game coming from behind beating the Southern Ohio Copperheads 8-5 at Bob Wren Stadium.

 

The Monarchs were trialing 3-2 at the point of interruption on Saturday in the top of the third inning.

 

The Copperheads extended its advantage to 5-2 when Billy Adams (Saint Peters University) smacked a two-run single scoring both Brendan Willadsen (Adrian College) and Frankie Clark (Eastern Michigan).

 

The Monarchs, who scored a run in the sixth, took the lead 6-5 after scoring three times in the seventh inning.

 

Ben Brittingham (Hanover College) led off with a double and scored on an RBI-single by Bren Wilkinson (Cal State Fullerton). Michigan tied the score 5-5 when Wilkinson was driven home on an RBI-base hit by Kenny McKinley (Middle Tennessee State). McKinley scored the go-ahead run when Greg Guzik (Central Michigan) singled for the Monarchs.

 

Michigan scored single runs in both the eighth and ninth innings for insurance purposes. 

 

Christan Holmes (UIC transfer) joined Guzik and Brittingham with three hits and each them had a double as part their hitting resume. 

 

Kooper Etheridge (Madonna University) pitched the final three innings for the Monarchs earning his first save of the season. Etheridge did not give up a run only allowing one hit and one walk.

 

The regularly season game made it into the bottom of the second inning before heavy rains again invaded the Athens area. After a long delay, the game was cancelled and will not be made up.

 

Michigan (21-17) sits in second place in the GLSCL North Division standings going into the all-star break. The Monarchs are two and a half games ahead of the Muskegon Clippers (19-20) with the three games left to play for the GLSCL’s final playoff. It won’t be any easy task as they face the first place Lima Locos to end the regular season.

 

The Copperheads (13-22) will play four games against Flag City who still has a puncher’s chance to get into the playoffs in its inaugural season. 

 

 

GRAND LAKE MARINERS  6  LIMA LOCOS  4   -  FINAL

MONTGOMERY FIELD - The Grand Lake Mariners snapped a nine-game losing streak beating the first place Lima Locos in its home finale at Montgomery Field.

 

After the Locos took an early 1-0 lead, the Mariners answered with three runs in the bottom of the first inning.

 

Isaac Sobieszczyk (Missouri Western commit) came to the plate with runners on the corners. Sobieszczyk pulled a double to left field easily scoring A.J. Klubeck (Palomar College) from third base. Jake Lopez (University of Scranton transfer) then scored on an RBI-single to right field by Chase Alwardt (University of Indianapolis). Sobieszczyk scored on a wild pitch capping the rally.

 

The Locos tied the game 3-3 in the sixth inning when newcomer Marwynn Matthews (Macomb CC) hit a two-run single up the middle to center field.

 

Grand Lake answered quickly scoring twice in the bottom of the sixth taking a 5-3 advantage. The Mariners broke up the tie when Austin Peak (Morehead State) singled leading off the inning coming around to score on an RBI-single by Jacob Loving (Palomar College). Loving scored an insurance run on an RBI-groundout by Sage Adams (Purdue Fort Wayne).

 

The Mariners scored yet another insurance run in the eight when Peak, who went 3-for-4 at the plate, scoreing when Loving grounded into a fielder’s choice.

 

The Locos rallied in the ninth inning but only could come away with one run. Grant McGuire (Winthrop University) delivered a two-out RBI-single driving in Anthony Sarro (Fairleigh Dickinson). 

 

With the bases loaded and both the tying and go-ahead runs on base, Grand Lake pitcher Justin Bultemeier (IU Kokomo transfer) got David Falloon (Mercer University) to ground into a fielder’s choice for the game’s final out.

 

Chase Kurtz (Southwestern University) earned his first victory of the season with Bultemeier getting his first save.

 

The Mariners (11-28) wrap up the season after the all-star break on the road playing a three-game weekend series in Muskegon against the Clippers.

 

The Locos will take on the Michigan Monarchs which has the possibility of being a preview to the North Division playoff series hosting the final two game at Simmons 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.