Monmouth College 2005 Baseball - Results and Game Summaries

May 14, 2005 at MWC Championships, De Pere, Wis.
Ripon 5, Monmouth 3 (24-9)
Like the football team in the fall, the Fighting Scots baseball team is now at the mercy of the NCAA selection committee after failing to win the Midwest Conference title. The reduction of the playoffs to a single elimination event left Monmouth with no margin for error, and they were rock solid until the top of the ninth, when Ripon finally got to MC starter Dan Dunn. Through eight innings, Dunn held a 1-0 lead and was pitching a three-hitter. He had only encountered serious trouble in one inning, pitching out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the sixth, one frame after Jason Salmon's RBI single had given the Scots the lead. But as Monmouth has proved to their opponents the past two Saturdays, the last three outs are the hardest to get, and this time it was the Scots who failed to protect a late lead. Dunn surrendered a leadoff walk - never a good sign - and the Scots then committed an error. A bunt single loaded the bases and Eric Cluppert delivered a go-ahead, two-run single. That chased Dunn from the hill and ended his shutout streak at 29 innings. Reliever Scott Coles, who hadn't allowed a run entering the contest, came on, but he, too, had his shutout streak ended. Dan Williams rapped a two-run double and and scored on Tyler Haddock's single. Down 5-1, Monmouth did make a rally, starting the inning with three straight hits, including an RBI single for Jeremy Kafka. Josh Ragar hit a sacrifice fly to cut the margin to 5-3, but Ripon's Noah Wishau punctuated his complete game victory with a strikeout to send the Scots home early. 

May 7, 2005 vs. Grinnell College, Monmouth, Ill.
Monmouth 9, Grinnell 0
Monmouth 3, Grinnell 2, 10 innings (24-8, 11-1)
The Fighting Scots followed the same formula as last weekend's doubleheader sweep, winning decisively in the opener behind a strong effort by Dan Dunn and taking the nightcap after some ninth-inning heroics. Monmouth trailed 2-1 as it came to the plate in the bottom of the ninth, and the outlook looked bleak when the first two batters were retired. But Jeremy Kafka roped a double to left-center, and Steve Turner followed with a triple to the wall in right-center. After two nice defensive plays by Tristan Reimolds kept Grinnell off the board in the 10th, the Scots won the game by stringing together three straight singles, including the game-winner by Ryan Stubler. Starter Brian Schutzbach pitched six innings of two-hit ball, but did not factor in the decision, which went to ace reliever Scott Coles, who extended his season-long scoreless string to 9-2/3 innings by pitching the final frame. Speaking of scoreless strings, Dunn's is now at 21 innings after he pitched the first five frames of the opener, allowing just two hits. He improved his record to 8-1 and lowered his ERA to 1.44. Stubler had RBI hits in his final three at-bats of game one and knocked in five runs on the day. Another offensive star was Jason Salmon, who was 4-for-7 overall, including a homer in the nightcap.

May 3, 2005 vs. Wartburg College, Dyersville, Iowa
Wartburg 9, Monmouth 6
Monmouth 8, Wartburg 3 (22-8)
The Fighting Scots equaled their record for regular-season victories by taking the nightcap against 14th-ranked Wartburg, which entered the day with a 23-6 record and took the first game to extend its winning streak to 10. That halted the Scots' own seven-game streak, but it didn't take long for Monmouth to get back to its winning ways. Jason Salmon continued his solid season with three hits and three RBIs in the nightcap to complete a 5-for-7 day and Ryan Priola added a homer and a double and drove in two runs. Kevin Meinhart took the win and Scott Coles added 2-1/3 innings of one-hit relief to pick up the save. Ryan Stubler, who was 1-for-2 in the opener with two RBIs, saw his hitting streak snapped at eight in the second game. Tristan Reimolds had a home run and three RBIs in the opener, but Wartburg scored in five straight innings after the Scots took a 1-0 lead. The non-conference doubleheader was played at the neutral site of Dyersville, Iowa, but not at the famous "Field of Dreams." 

May 1, 2005 at Knox College, Galesburg, Ill.
Monmouth 17, Knox 0
Monmouth 10, Knox 2 (21-7, 9-1)
Whoever said "Baseball is a funny game," was laughing doubly hard Saturday. The Fighting Scots scored 17 runs to take the first game, and the offensive onslaught figured to continue in the nightcap. However, with two outs in the top of the ninth, Monmouth still hadn't scored a run. That changed when Thad King belted a two-run double off the wall to tie the game at 2-2. The Scots went on to score eight runs in the top of the 10th to create a deceivingly wide margin of victory. While the game's final scores provided some unpredictability, the Scots' pitching performances were business as usual. Dan Dunn dominated the opener, scattering four hits and three walks as he shut out Knox for the second Saturday in a row. In the nightcap, Brian Schutzbach gave up two first-inning runs, but he stayed on the mound all the way and allowed no runs and just three hits and four walks after his rocky first. He finished the game with 10 strikeouts, his fourth straight double-digit performance in that category. Dunn's scoreless streak now stands at 16 innings, and both pitchers improved to 7-1 with their wins. Ryan Stubler was 3-for-4 in the opener with three RBIs, and he belted two homers on the day, including a blast in extra innings in the nightcap. Alan Betourne finished the day 4-for-7 and also homered. By winning the opener, the Fighting Scots clinched their fifth straight MWC South Division title.

April 23, 2005 vs. Knox College, Monmouth, Ill.
Monmouth 3, Knox 0
Monmouth 2, Knox 0 (19-7, 7-1)
The Fighting Scots knew their starting pitchers, Dan Dunn and Brian Schutzbach, were primed for good outings against Knox, but with the wind blowing in at Glasgow Field at a constant 30 miles per hour, the duo wound up being dominant. In their back-to-back shutouts, they combined to allow just seven hits and five walks in 16 innings while striking out 20. Both pitchers finished strong, with Dunn retiring the final 11 Prairie Fire batters. Schutzbach, who put the "K" in Knox, allowed only hit over the final seven innings, and recorded five straight outs by strikeout in the seventh and eighth innings on his way to 12 punch-outs for the game. While the pitchers got the job done late, the offense did its work early, striking for two runs in the first in the opener and a single run in their initial at-bat in the nightcap. Jason Salmon, who finished 4-for-7, set the table both times with leadoff hits. He scored on Alan Betourne's double in the first game, and Ryan Stubler then singled home Betourne. In the nightcap, Stubler plated Salmon on his way to a 5-for-6 day at the plate. Stubler drove in the other run in the opener to give him three RBIs on the day, and Thad King added an RBI single in the nightcap. Dunn and Schutzbach both improved to 6-1 on the year and lowered their ERAs to 1.79 and 1.98, respectively.

April 20, 2005 at Iowa Wesleyan College, Mt. Pleasant, Iowa
Monmouth 11, IWC 4 (17-7)
Jason Salmon's leadoff triple in the first inning set the tone for a solid offensive display by the Scots. Salmon, who finished the day 3-for-5 with two RBIs, came in to score on Tristan Reimolds' sacrifice fly, and Ryan Stubler added an RBI double later in the inning. The Scots scored in each of the first four frames, then sealed the outcome with back-to-back three-run innings in the eighth and ninth. Alan Betourne contributed a two-run double and Jeremy Kafka had a two-run single. Six Monmouth pitchers saw action, with Mason Abner getting the victory.

April 16, 2005 vs. Illinois College, Monmouth, Ill.
Monmouth 9, IC 7
Monmouth 3, IC 2 (16-7, 5-1)
Powered by Tristan Reimolds' two homers and another outstanding performance by freshman southpaw Brian Schutzbach, the Fighting Scots swept their chief MWC South rival and are in the driver's seat for a fifth straight divisional title. Reimolds staked the Scots to a 1-0 lead in the opener with a towering home run to the opposite field, and he also had a RBI single and an RBI double as Monmouth jumped out to a 9-2 lead after four innings. The Blueboys rallied in their final at-bat as the Scots gave them five outs, but Steve Mumma came in to save the fifth game of his MC career, setting a school record. Dan Dunn pitched the first six innings and got the victory, improving to 5-1. In the nightcap, Reimolds again had a first-inning solo blast, and Josh Hall added a home run in the fourth to make it 2-0. Jacob Bice's sacrifice fly in the sixth brought home an important third run, as the Blueboys' Sean Calloway belted a two-run homer in the top of the eighth that just eluded center fielder Jason Salmon's grasp. Schutzbach held on to get the complete-game win, though, finishing with 12 strikeouts. The six-hitter moved his record to 5-1. Reimolds finished the day 4-for-7 at the plate with four RBIs.   

April 9, 2005 at Illinois College, Jacksonville, Ill.
IC 2, Monmouth 1
Monmouth 12, IC 2 (14-7, 3-1)
After letting the first game slip away in the bottom of the seventh, the Scots fought back to earn a split against the Blueboys, who were the MWC South's other playoff representative last season. Although Dan Dunn had not been perfect, he did carry a 1-0 shutout into IC's final at-bat in the opener. But after Dunn retired the first hitter, the Blueboys strung together four straight singles to steal the win. In the nightcap, Brian Schutzbach cruised to his fourth consecutive victory, and he got the offensive support that Dunn was lacking. The Scots rapped out 16 hits, including three for Thad King and two apiece for the 1-5 hitters. That included leadoff man Jason Salmon, who collected a team-high four RBIs. Schutzbach pitched all nine innings, fanning 14 while yielding just six hits and two walks.

April 5, 2005 vs. MacMurray College, Monmouth, Ill.
Monmouth 10, MacMurray 6 (13-6)
Clint Dintelman, the eighth and final hurler in coach Roger Sander's pitcher-by-committee lineup, retired the only two batters he faced to earn the save in a game the Scots controlled comfortably until the ninth. Monmouth entered the final inning with a 10-2 lead, but the Highlanders rallied, getting a two-run blast from Tim Newbury to trim the lead to four. After a walk, Sander summoned Dintelman, who induced a pop-up to first and a grounder to third. The Scots had gone ahead to stay on Ryan Stubler's RBI single in the third, and Alan Betourne launched a deep homer to right field to start a four-run fifth. Josh Hall added a two-run single in the frame. The Scots scored four more times in the sixth without the benefit of a hit. The win was credited to Steve Mumma, the Scots' second pitcher, who improved to 2-0.

April 2, 2005 at Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa
Monmouth 9, Grinnell 3
Monmouth 13, Grinnell 3 (12-6, 2-0)
The Fighting Scots, who have won the MWC South Division crown the past four seasons, got their title defense off to a solid start with a sweep over the Pioneers. Back-to-back doubles by Tristan Reimolds and Jason Salmon to lead off the opener was a sign of things to come, and the Scots then nailed down the win with a five-run sixth. Steve Turner, Thad King, Reimolds and Salmon all had run-scoring singles in the frame. The win went to Dan Dunn, who allowed seven hits and two walks while going the seven-inning distance. In the nightcap, MC starter Brian Schutzbach finally had his hitless string snapped at 11 innings, and he and the Scots actually trailed 1-0 entering the fifth. But the Scots put together two more five-run innings, getting four more RBI singles in the fifth. In the seventh, Reimolds had an RBI double and Ryan Stubler had a two-run base hit as their lead grew to 10-2. Turner and King each had four hits on the day, and 11 Scots combined for MC's 27 hits. Dunn improved to 4-0, while Schutzbach is now 3-1.

March 30, 2005 at Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington, Ill.
IWU 9, Monmouth 8 (10-6)
By design, both the Fighting Scots and the Titans used a pitcher-by-committee approach in their nine-inning contest, and Monmouth failed to score against the host's final three hurlers in the high-scoring affair. Early on, the Scots' Brian Schutzbach continued his fine run, pitching hitless frames in the second and third, but those six batters were the only ones he faced. Schutzbach has not allowed a hit in his 10-2/3 innings. Balls were leaving the yard about as often as pitchers left the mound, as six homers were hit on the rainy, windy day, including two apiece by MC's Jason Salmon and IWU's Joe Howard. Salmon drove in five runs, but Steve Myros allowed a game-tying homer to Brian McCabe in the sixth and a go-ahead blast by Cory Lapinski in the sixth.

March 20, 2005 vs. Wisconsin Lutheran College, Monmouth, Ill.
Monmouth 7, Wisconsin Lutheran 2
Monmouth 9, Wisconsin Lutheran 1 (10-5)
The Fighting Scots extended their winning streak to four games with their third and fourth straight solid pitching performances. Game one starter Kevin Meinhart did not allow an earned run in six innings of work, striking out 10 and yielding just three hits and a walk. In the nightcap, Matt Engelhardt went the distance to improve to 2-0. He allowed six hits, a walk and one earned run. In their last four games, the Scots' staff has allowed just one earned run in 30 innings. Offensively, Tristan Reimolds, Matt Gordon and Alan Betourne all had productive days, each going 4-for-6. Gordon drove in four runs and Reimolds had three RBIs. In the nightcap, Josh Ragar was 3-for-3 with three runs scored. 

March 19, 2005 vs. Wisconsin Lutheran College, Monmouth, Ill.
Monmouth 2, Wisconsin Lutheran 0 (8-5)
On a pitcher's day, the Fighting Scots' Dan Dunn was nearly unhittable. The game-time temperature dipped below 40, the wind was gusting in from center field and Dunn had great command, setting down 15 of the game's final 17 batters. He struck out 12, walked two and allowed just two hits en route to his second straight shutout. Dunn, now 3-0 on the season, lowered his team-best ERA to 1.17. He was never seriously threatened, as no Warrior reached third base. Monmouth got all the scoring it would need in the bottom of the first when Jason Salmon singled and stole second. He came in to score when Matt Gordon reached on a two-base error. Gordon then came in on a wild pitch and a passed ball. The Scots only managed three singles off WLC's Brent Hellpap. Saturday's action was to have been a doubleheader, but the Scots and Warriors have pushed their twinbill back to Sunday when warmer weather is expected. 

March 17, 2005 vs. Augustana College, Monmouth, Ill.
Augustana 8, Monmouth 4
Monmouth 2, Augustana 0 (7-5)
It was the worst of times, it was the best of times. Playing against one of their chief non-conference rivals, the Fighting Scots wanted to make a strong showing, but they did anything but in the opener, coming out flat and watching the Vikings score at least one run in each of the first four innings off starter Steve Myros. Monmouth trailed 8-0 when Myros left the mound midway through the fourth. From there, the two bright spots were Scott Coles' three-and-a-third innings of scoreless relief and a four-run rally in the bottom of the seventh, keyed by Tristan Reimolds' two-run double. The Scots then focused their attention on gaining a split, and they did so in style, as freshman southpaw Brian Schutzbach pitched what is believed to be only the third no-hitter in the 137-year history of MC baseball. Schutzbach had dealt Augustana its only defeat of the season last Friday, striking out 10 in nine innings, and he was even better this time around, getting stronger as the game wore on. Through four innings, he had four Ks, but he struck out the side in both the fifth and sixth frames to reach double digits. He issued two one-out walks in the top of the seventh to make things interesting, then fanned Augie's final two batters to record the historic win. The other two no-hitters on the book at Monmouth were pitched by Chuck Hamilton in 1925 and Jake Libby in 1992.

March 11, 2005 vs. Augustana College, Clearwater, Fla.
Monmouth 5, Augustana 2 (6-4)
The Fighting Scots departed Florida on a high note, handing undefeated Augustana its first loss of the season. The Vikings took the early lead on Monmouth starter Brian Schutzbach, scoring twice in the top of the first, but the freshman lefty settled down after that, yielding just two hits and two walks the rest of the way. He finished the game with 10 strikeouts and allowed no earned runs. Tristan Reimolds and Jason Salmon led off the sixth with hits and both came in to score to tie the game at 2-2, and the Scots took control in the eighth. Matt Gordon's RBI single broke the deadlock and Ryan Stubler plated two more runs with a double. Schutzbach set the Vikings down in order in the ninth to finish off his complete game and send the Scots back north with their fifth straight win.

March 10, 2005 vs. Coe College, Clearwater, Fla.
Monmouth 7, Coe 6
Monmouth 15, Coe 10, 11 innings (5-4)
The Fighting Scots are back over the .500 mark after an interesting sweep of the Kohawks. Jason Salmon's single in the bottom of the seventh and final inning won the opener, and the two teams staged another tight battle in the nightcap. Salmon singled and scored in the top half of the seventh to send the game into extra innings, and Monmouth appeared to have the game in hand in the ninth, scoring three runs on a wild pitch, an error and a bases-loaded walk. But Coe struck back with three runs of their own in the bottom of the ninth. The Scots finally broke the game open in the 11th, plating seven runs, including two on a Tristan Reimolds homer. Matt Engelhardt, who went the distance in the opener, and Steve Mumma were MC's winning pitchers. Salmon was 5-for-10 on the day and Steve Turner went 4-for-6 in the nightcap with three RBIs.

March 9, 2005 vs. Lakeland College, Clearwater, Fla.
Monmouth 2, Lakeland 0 (3-4)
Through their first half-dozen games in Florida, the Fighting Scots had hit the ball well and been solid in the field in almost every game. What was missing was a dominant pitching performance, but Dan Dunn finally supplied one, blanking Lakeland on just one hit. The righthanded junior transfer struck out four and walked four as he improved to 2-0 on the year. Dunn got the support he needed in the third, when Matt Gordon tripled in a run and scored on Alan Betourne's single. Steve Turner extended his hitting streak to seven games with a second-inning single.

March 8, 2005 vs. College of Mount St. Joseph, Clearwater, Fla.
Monmouth 10, Mount St. Joseph 5 (2-4)
The Fighting Scots got back on the winning track, using a pair of three-run innings to turn back the Lions. MC starter Pat Schramm got the quick hook after four walks and a wild pitch in the first two-thirds of an inning, and coach Roger Sander turned to Clint Dintelman for some really long relief. Dintelman wound up pitching the final 8-1/3 innings, surrendering just six hits, a walk and three earned runs. The Scots gave him a lead to work with in their half of the first, as Steve Turner's two-run single put Monmouth up 3-2. The Scots led 5-4 entering the bottom of the fifth, and Turner again had the big blow, belting a two-run double. He then came in to score on Thad King's RBI base hit. Turner finished the day with five RBIs and Matt Gordon was 3-for-3 with three runs scored.

March 7, 2005 vs. Wabash University, Clearwater, Fla.
Wabash 7, Monmouth 6
Wabash 5, Monmouth 0 (1-4)
Wabash scored early and late to deal the Fighting Scots a one-run setback in the opener of their doubleheader, and the Scots were shut out on six hits in the nightcap as they dropped their fourth straight game of their week-long Florida trip. Mason Abner was rocked for five runs on five hits in the first frame of the opener, but he settled down and pitched five scoreless innings until the top of the seventh. In the meantime, Monmouth battled back, tying the game with three runs in the second and two in the third. Alan Betourne tripled and scored to get the Scots on the board, and Steve Turner added an RBI single. In the third, Ryan Priola had an RBI double and scored on Josh Ragar's single. Wabash snapped the deadlock with two runs in the top of the seventh. Priola doubled and scored on Josh Hall's hit in Monmouth's half of the seventh, but the Scots were unable to force extra innings. In the nightcap, Monmouth struck out 14 times and stranded 10 runners, and Wabash worked out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the fourth. Kevin Meinhart took the loss. Thad King and Priola both finished the twinbill 4-for-5.

March 6, 2005 vs. Wartburg College, Clearwater, Fla.
Wartburg 20, Monmouth 14
Wartburg 7, Monmouth 6, 8 innings (1-2)
The Fighting Scots blew leads in both ends of their first twinbill of the season. With ace Steve Myros on the hill and an 8-0 advantage in the third inning of the opener, Monmouth was in great shape, but things unraveled quickly. Wartburg scored five times in the third and added four runs in the fourth to close the gap to 11-9. Alan Betourne's RBI single in the fifth put the Scots up three, but three singles chased Myros from the hill in Wartburg's half. The Scots' first reliever, Nate McCaherty, failed to retire any of the three batters he faced, and the next pitcher, Pat Schramm, was greeted by a grand slam. Steve Turner and Betourne each had three hits for Monmouth and Ryan Priola drove in four runs, including three on the Scots' first homer of the spring. The game marked the most runs the Scots had scored in defeat since a 16-14 defeat vs. Illinois College in 1995. The 34 combined runs was the most since Monmouth topped IC 25-15 in 1998. In the nightcap, it was the Scots' turn to rally, and they used a five-run fourth to go ahead by one. With two outs and no one on, Dan Lipp started the rally with a double. Josh Hall, Jason Salmon and Turner also had RBI hits, and Matt Gordon then put the Scots ahead with a two-run double. Monmouth trailed 6-5 as it came to bat for the final time, but Betourne extended the game with a solo homer. MC starter Brian Schutzbach gave up a single and a walk to lead off the eighth, and Wartburg was able to manufacture the winning run. 

March 5, 2005 vs. Widener University, Clearwater, Fla.
Monmouth 10, Widener 5 (1-0)
The 2005 season got off to a solid start, at least offensively, as the Fighting Scots slugged a triple, four doubles and nine singles en route to a five-run win. Batting in the No. 2 hole, Steve Turner proved to be the Scots' table-setter, going 3-for-4 and scoring three runs. He doubled and scored Monmouth's first run of the season in the top of the first, and his leadoff single in the third sparked a three-run rally. The Scots' biggest inning was the sixth, when they pushed across four runs. Josh Hall's two-run double was the big blow. Transfer Dan Dunn pitched the first seven innings, yielding eight hits and three walks to earn the victory, and Matt Engelhardt finished up with two frames of one-hit ball. Playing outdoors for the first time in months, the Scots had a hard time getting used to grass and dirt, committing six errors, which led to a pair of unearned runs. Widener also struggled, making three errors. Only six of the runs it allowed were earned.