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April 23, 1998 Galesburg, IL -- The Monmouth College men’s baseball team took a big step in the drive to defend its Midwest Conference South Division title with a doubleheader sweep of arch-rival Knox College in Galesburg on Thursday afternoon. The two victories improve the Fighting Scots’ season record to 12-10 and Monmouth moves to 7-1 in MWC South action. The Prairie Fire drop to 5-18 (2-5 MWC) and are almost certainly eliminated from postseason consideration. The Scots went 11 innings to win the first game 10-8 and then captured a 2-1 decision in the nightcap. Monmouth now takes a seven-game conference winning streak into a weekend doubleheader against Knox at home on Saturday. Sophomore Brad Davis (Galesburg,IL/HS) threw all 11 innings in the opener to claim his third victory of the season (3-4, 2-1). He allowed 13 Fire hits and seven earned runs but was supported by a strong offensive effort. After Knox jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, Casey Boydstun (Galesburg,IL/HS) began the Scots’ scoring with a one-out triple in the third and was chased home on an RBI single by Dustin Salmon (Pekin,IL/HS), who was a perfect 5-for-5 at the plate. DH Jay Turnbull (Chatham,IL/Glenwood) led off the fourth with his first home run of the season for the Scots but MC had to rally from an 8-2 deficit to tie the score with six runs in the sixth. Monmouth sent 12 batters to the plate against three Knox pitchers as consecutive RBI singles by Boydstun, Salmon and Joel Fulgenzi (Springfield,IL/Lanphier) drove home the first three runs and four walks and a sacrifice fly brought home the rest. Monmouth tallied the winning runs in their half of the 11th on a two-out, two-run pinch hit single by David George (Burlington,IA/Notre Dame). George’s dramatic hit drove home Salmon and Fulgenzi, who had each singled and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Scott Beeler (Warsaw,IL/HS). Davis set the Prairie Fire down in order in the bottom half to earn the win. In the nightcap Matt Carlson (Frankfort,IL/Lincoln-Way) (5-0, 3-0) stayed unbeaten on the season with a six-hit, seven-inning performance. A Knox error in the top of the 2nd allowed Tim Creeden (Batavia,IL/HS) to score the Scots’ first run and a sacrifice fly by Nate Pokrass (Brookfield,WI/East) drove in Boydstun, who had singled and stole second, to put Monmouth up 2-0 in the fifth. Knox’ only run came in the bottom of the sixth as a result of an outfield error and two Fire base hits. Carlson struck out three and walked one in throwing his third complete game of the season. Monmouth hosts Knox in an MWC doubleheader on Saturday at Bobby Woll Field. The second annual Fighting Scots alumni baseball game will start at approximately 11:00 AM and will precede the college game. The Scots finish their conference schedule with two home games against Illinois College next Tuesday afternoon. |
