The Monmouth Fighting Scots baseball team earned a strong 7–3 win against Ripon last Sunday, thanks to a big first inning and solid pitching. Giving them their first Midwest conference win this season.
The game did not start in Monmouth’s favor, when the Scots quickly fell behind 0–2. However, they responded right away. The first two hitters earned singles, putting runners in scoring positions.
With runners on second and third, Aiden Scott stepped up and blasted a three-run home run, giving the Scots the lead. “It’s such a great feeling getting the go-ahead home run for the team; it gave us a lot of momentum for the rest of the game,” Scott said.
Not fast enough for Aidan Scott. Photo by Kim Fornero
The Scots kept the momentum going when Jace Wilkerson followed with a solo home run, extending the lead.
On the mound, Brandon Coats played a key role. After allowing a couple of runs early, he settled in and began to dominate. “I came out shaky in the first after allowing a few runs, then I got into a groove - focusing on not trying to be too perfect,” Coats said. Coats threw several strikeouts, keeping Ripon from scoring again.
Monmouth added a few more runs in the middle innings while continuing to play strong defense.
Ryan Garofoli came in to pitch the final three innings and didn’t allow a single run, securing the Scots’s victory.
The Fighting Scots showed strong hitting, pitching, and defense. With a performance like this, its looking like a promising season ahead.