GLSCL Recap - July 19

GRAND LAKE MARINERS  @  SOUTHERN OHIO COPPERHEADS  -  DH

BOB WREN STADIUM - The Grand Lake Mariners and the Southern Ohio Copperheads finished some unfinished business wrapping up three-game series with a pair of games on Sunday at Bob Wren Stadium.

The Mariners won both games improving it record to 31-8 on the season. It marks not only Grand Lake's first winning season since 2023 but its first 30-win season since winning 30 games in both 1996 and 1997. The Mariners also tied its franchise record with wins in a regular season when head coach Tom Brunswick led Grand Lake to a 31-9 record and the GLSCL championship in 1994.

The first game on Sunday was the continuation of a game that was halted on Saturday in Celina with the Mariners leading 10-0. Grand Lake was powered on Saturday by three home runs including a three-run blast by Luke Wildes (St. John's River State College) and solo shots by C.J. Filipek (Lawrence University) and Sean Krueckeberg (Ashland University).

When play resumed on Sunday the Mariners scored two more runs in the seventh inning. Brandt Kendall (Ball State University) tripled driving in Wildes and scored on a sacrifice fly by his college teammate Huston Dunn.

The Copperheads broke up a Grand Lake perfect game attempt in the seventh inning when Eli Mandler (Seton Hill University) was hit by a pitch leading off the inning. The Cheads avoided the shutout with Brady Kaufman's (Princeton University) two-run single chasing home both Mandler and Cal Leighton (Bradley University). Fox Spears (Hanover College) singled to left field driving in Konner Pittman (Shepherd University) from second base.

The Mariners went on the win the suspended game 12-3 following that completing the sweep with a 14-6 victory.

Kendall went 3-for-6 in the nightcap with two doubles and four RBIs. Dunn also had three hits scoring three runs. Wildes drove in three RBI while going 2-for-4 at the plate.

Cole Davis (Adrian College) had four hits for the Copperheads including a solo homer in the seventh staving off the mercy rule.

The Mariners will take on the Hamilton Joes coming out of all-star break which is a preview to the GLSCL South Division playoff series. Southern Ohio (7-30) wraps up the season with three game against the Xenia Scouts.

LIMA LOCOS  13  MUSKEGON CLIPPERS  3  -  FINAL/7 Innings

SIMMONS FIELD - The Lima Locos complete a three-game sweep of the Muskegon Clippers with its third straight run-rule victory winning on Sunday at Simmons Field by a score of 13-3.

The win for the Locos equals a franchise record 30th win of the season. Lima last had a 30-win regular season in 2017 going 30-11 and winning the GLSCL championship under head coach Brian Garman.

The Locos jumped out to an early 7-0 lead with a second inning offensive outburst. Lima sent 11 batters to the plate but only needed four hits in the inning. 

Parker Dastou (Mercer University) broke the seal with an RBI-double driving in Gabe Gonzalez (Mercer University). Braylon Cordonnier (Marshall University) scored when Tyler VanSumeren (Kennesaw State) hit a sacrifice fly to right field. Dastou scored on a bases loaded walk which was followed by a two-run single by Shane Miranda (Notre Dame). Cameron Greene (Southeastern Louisiana University) stole home during a double steal and Miranda scored on an RBI-single one Gonzalez's second hit of the inning.

Muskegon showed signs of life answering with three runs in the top of the third inning. The Clippers loaded the bases with one out after Dalton Dick (Arkansas Pine Bluff) walked, Isaiah Domey (Michigan State) hit a ground rule double and Ben Meyers (Aquinas College) was hit by a pitch. Dick was forced home when Justin St. Antione (Kellogg CC) was issued a bases loaded walk. Taylor Head's (Chattanooga State CC) single to center field drove in Domey and Meyers scored on a sacrifice fly to shallow right right by Drake Roa (University of Michigan).

Konner Quinn (Southern Indiana) came out of the Locos bullpen for the fourth inning cutting the Clippers offensive water supply. Quinn pitched four shutout innings in relief allowing just one base runner. He finished with four strikeouts improving his record to 3-1 in the season.

Gonzalez put an early end to the game in the seventh inning with an RBI-single driving home Greene completing the 13-3 dismantling of the Clippers. Gonzalez finished 3-for-3 at the plate with four RBIs while Greene scored a game-high four runs. Grant McGuire (Winthrop University) chipping in going 3-for-4 with two RBI.

Going into the all-star break the Locos sport a record of 30-9 and have already clinched the GLSCL North Division title. Lima needs just one win in the final three games of the regular season to break the franchise record for wins in a regular season. If they sweep the upcoming series against the Flag City Sluggers they will insure it best regular season winning percentage since joining the GLSCL in 1987.  

The Clippers (19-19) now find themselves in a tie for second place with Flag City for the second North Division playoff spot. Muskegon play a three-game series after the all-star break to finish up the season against the Michigan Monarchs.

FLAG CITY SLUGGERS  6  MICHIGAN MONARCHS  2  -  FINAL

SOUTHGATE ANDERSON HIGH SCHOOL - The Flag City Sluggers got up off the deck to win the resumption of a suspended game against the Michigan Monarchs winning 6-2 in Southgate, Michigan.

The Sluggers snapped a three-game losing streak including being swept by the Monarchs in a double header on Saturday. Flag City (19-19) is now tied with Muskegon for the second and final playoff spot representing the North Division.

The game began on Friday night in Findlay with the Sluggers rallying in the bottom of the second inning. Trent Smith (Owens CC) hits a two-run double on Friday giving Flag City a 2-1 advantage when the game went into a lightning delay and was later suspended after a heavy downpour of rain.

The Sluggers added two more runs on Sunday when Drew Tajblik (Owens CC) hit a two-run bases loaded single extending the Flag City lead to 4-1.

The Monarchs answered with a run in the in fifth inning when newcomer Dane Richards (Indiana Tech) delivered a RBI-single to left field driving home Casey Robertson (Henry Ford CC).

The Sluggers scored two insurance runs in the seventh with a pair of sacrifice flies by Aiden Booth (University of Findlay) and Braden Sprague (Central Oklahoma).

Braylon Sheefel (IU South Bend) came in to pitch on Sunday for Flag City finishing the game going seven innings out of the bullpen in a quasi starting assignment. Sheefel earned his first win of the season giving up just one run and scattering eight hits.

Flag City has its work cut out for them as they try to overtake Muskegon for a spot in the playoffs. The Sluggers face off in a three-game series against the first place Lima Locos in could be a prelude a potential playoff matchup. 

The Monarchs (15-21) on the other hand have a chance to play spoiler taking on the Clippers in the season's final three games.

XENIA SCOUTS  5  HAMILTON JOES  0  -  FINAL

GRADY'S FIELD - The Xenia Scouts won its second straight game and the series victory to boot with a 5-0 shutout win over the Hamilton Joes on Grady's Field at Browne Stadium.

Three Xenia pitchers combined to four-hit the Joes as the Scouts (10-28) reached double digits in season wins.

Will Johnson (UT Tyler) got the start going the first three innings striking out four batters and scattering two hits. Caleb Shreve (Hiram College) pitched the middle three innings earning his first win of the season. Shreve gave up just one hits and two walks. Ryan Redding (Depauw University) tossed the last three innings earning the save despite getting into trouble in the ninth inning. Redding stranded the bases loaded in ending the game preserving the shutout.

Hamilton (20-17) limps into the all-star after dropping the series to Scouts. The Joes will have an important series with the first place Grand Lake Mariners coming out of the break.

Xenia will play its final home game of the season on Thursday starting a three game series against the Southern Ohio Copperheads.

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 eight active franchises in Ohio and Michigan boasting several players that have earned service time in major league baseball.