Picture credit to Dan Gawkowski 

 

LIMA LOCOS  12  MICHIGAN MONARCHS  11 -  FINAL

HILLSDALE COLLEGE - The Lima Locos hold off a late surge defeating the Michigan Monarchs 12-11 at Lenda and Glenda Hill Stadium on the campus of Hillsdale College.

 

The Monarchs magic number is down to one and had a chance to punch the final ticket into the GLSCL playoffs but were held off by the first place Locos.

 

It was high scoring in the early going and in the late innings with pitching having the advantage in during the middle innings.

 

Lima (26-12) jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning.  The Locos scored the first two runs without the benefit of a hit. 

 

Payton Ebbing (Kent State) was forced home on a bases loaded walk issued to Carter Schueler (Sauk Valley CC). Cole Crafton (University of Illinois) scored next on a wild pitch. David Falloon (Mercer University) drove in Grant McGuire (Winthrop University) on and infield single followed by Schueler crossing the plate on a single to right by Will Briggs (UMass Amherst).

 

The Monarchs got off the mat answering with three runs in the bottom of the first. Wyatt Epple (Davenport University) lead off the inning staring the rally with an infield hit. Epple came around to score on an RBI-single by Christian Holmes (Wisconsin Milwaukee). Greg Guzik (Central Michigan) scampering in from third on a wild pitch. Kopper Etherirdge (Madonna University) hit a come backer so hard that it knocked the glove off of Locos pitcher Landon Vandegrift’s hand allowing Holmes to score from third base.

 

The Monarchs tied the score 4-4 in the bottom of the second inning when Zach Freitag (Macomb CC) tripled to right field leading off the inning. Freitag later scored on a Epple’s single to left field.

 

This is when the pitchers started to settle in starting with Vandegrift (University of Akron) throwing an immaculate inning in the third. Vandegrift accomplished this rare feat by striking out all three batters on the minimum nine pitches required to do so in the inning.

 

Monarchs pitcher Antonio Biggs (University of Olivet transfer) came out of the bullpen starting the second inning. Biggs shutout out the Locos for four innings until running out of gas in the sixth. That was when Lima marked up Biggs for four runs taking an 8-4 lead. 

 

Lima took the lead on back-to-back RBI-singles by Ebbing and Crafton. McGuire hit a sacrifice fly driving in Ebbing. Schueler capped the four-run inning with an RBI-single to left field driving home Crafton.

 

The Locos appeared to be cruising towards a victory leading 12-5 going into the bottom of the eighth inning. Guzik topped off a five-run rally hitting with a towering grand slam home run narrowing the deficit to 12-10.

 

The Monarchs again rallied in the ninth inning putting runners on first and second base with two outs. Nathan Fidelino (Macomb CC) reached on what should have been the final out of the game. On a grounder to shortstop the ball was dropped by the Locos first baseman allowing Etherridge to score from third base making it 12-11.

 

With the trying and potential winning run on base, Locos closer Brady Fitzpatrick (Morehead State) recorded the elusive final out securing the victory.

 

Carter Parks (St. John’s River College) went four innings out of the bullpen improving his record to 2-1 on the season. Fitzpatrick recorded his third save of the season.

 

Michigan (21-18) will try again to clinch it’s would be playoff spot. The Monarchs go for the win Friday night at Simmons Field with first pitch scheduled for 7:05pm

 

 

MUSKEGON CLIPPERS  6  GRAND LAKE MARINERS  3  -  FINAL

MARSH FIELD - The Muskegon Clippers kept its playoff hope alive with a late home run defeating the Grand Lake Mariners 6-3 at Marsh Field.

 

The Monarchs broke up a 3-3 tie in the seventh inning with a three-run homer off the bat of Parker Vaughn (Lansing CC). Vaughan, who joined the team last week, sent the ball into the night for his first homer of the season.

 

Clippers relievers Alex Hardacre (Madonna University) and Winston Delp (Hillsdale College) combined in the eight and ninth innings to make the lead stand up. Hardacre improved his record to 5-2 on the season while Delp earned his first save.

 

The Clippers (20-20) just need to keep winning and root for the Lima Locos to beat the Michigan Monarchs to keep its dreams of returning to the playoffs for the a third straight year alive. 

 

The Mariners (11-29) jumped out to a 2-0 advantage with a two-run homer in the second inning by Chase Alwardt (University of Indianapolis).

 

The Clippers answered with a run in the bottom of the second. Ben Meyers (Lake Michigan College) lead off with a single to center field scoring on a double to right field by Luke Noack (Southern Arkansas University).

 

Muskegon then took a momentary 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. Cole Leclair (Texas A&M Texarkana) pulled a two-run double to right field scoring Vaughn and Taylor Head (Chattanooga State Tech). 

 

The Mariners tied the game 3-3 when Sage Adams (Purdue Fort Wayne) led off the sixth inning with a solo home run.

 

In the seventh inning, Noack lead off reaching on a walk advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt by Head. Jackson Isaacs (Kalamazoo College) reached on an infield single sending Noack to third base. This all set the stage for Vaughn to be the hero. Vaughan who is 5-for-11 at the plate in four games so far in Muskegon, became a name not to be forgotten anytime soon with his three-run game winning home run.

 

The series continues with the middle-game of the set on Friday night at Marsh Field scheduled to begin at 6:35pm. The Clippers still need to win and a Monarchs loss in Lima to keep its playoff aspirations alive.

 

 

SOUTHERN OHIO COPPERHEADS  vs.  FLAG CITY SLUGGERS    -  DH

BOB WREN STADIUM - The Flag City Sluggers playoff hopes came to an end after falling in the nightcap of a double header to the Southern Ohio Copperheads 7-4 in Athens.

 

Flag City, who needed to win all four games in the final series of the season won the first game convincingly 18-7.

 

Chris Franks (Ashland University) reached base in four of his five plate appearances going 3-for-4 at the plate. Franks belted a home run, a triple and drove in a season high six RBIs. He also was hit by a pitch and stole a base.

 

Southern Ohio (14-23) played the spoiler role with the victory in the nightcap. The Copperheads scored four runs, three of which were unearned, taking a early 4-0 lead that it would never relinquish. 

 

Landon Baker (Salem CC), who joined the team for the final weekend, delivered an RBI-single driving in another newcomer Nate Silvus (Hocking College).

 

Mason Wagner (Salem CC) scored on a throwing error by the Sluggers catcher. Baker crossed the plate being forced home from third base when Brendan Willadsen (Adrian College transfer) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Frankie Clark (Eastern Michigan) then scored from third base on a wild pitch.

 

The Sluggers threatened scoring three runs in the fifth inning cutting the Copperheads lead to 6-4.

 

Willadsen doubled in the bottom of the fifth inning sending home Ronnie Rowley (MidAmerican Nazarene) all the way from first base for an insurance run.

 

Copperheads reliever Dylan Klein (Alpena Community College) pitched the final two innings for the Cheads securing his first save of the season. Jacob Ruiz (Ohlone College), who has been a work horse of late for the Copperheads, got the start going five innings earning the victory.

 

Despite missing out on the playoffs in its inaugural season, the Sluggers (19-20) still have a chance to end its first season with a winning record. Flag City hosts the final two games of the season starting Friday at Marathon Diamonds against the Copperheads at 7:05pm.

 

 

HAMILTON JOES  10  XENIA SCOUTS  1  -  FINAL

GRADY’S FIELD - In a preview of the South Division’s playoff series the Hamilton Joes routed the first place Xenia Scouts 10-1 on Grady’s Field at Browne Stadium.

 

Four Hamilton pitchers combined to hold the Scouts offense to just three hits.

 

Brendan Mullin (Wabash Valley) took the ball first going the first five innings earning his first victory of the season. Mullin gave up just one run on one hit with three strikeouts and three walks. 

 

Dylan Kaiser (Tiffin University) pitched two perfect innings out of the bullpen for the Joes facing six batters with four of them striking out.

 

The Joes (21-18) only needed to compile nine hits thanks is part to four costly errors committed by the Scouts (24-16).

 

Jackson Wang (Wabash Valley) hit a two run homer, his third of the season, reaching base three times and scoring three runs. Travis Yankovich (Lake Erie College) and Preston Lynch (Panola JC) each delivered a single and a double for the winning Joes.

 

The series continues Friday night at Foundation Field for the middle of the game of the series starting at 7:05pm.

 

 

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.