Guillermo Ties Career Home Run Record as Scots Split Saturday DH

The Monmouth College baseball team split a Midwest Conference double header against Lawrence in Saturday's home opener. The Fighting Scots (5-13, 1-3) rallied to win game two 9-1 after dropping the opener 13-2. Senior Raul Guillermo (Miami, Florida) tied the Monmouth career home run record in game two with his 19th blast.

The Vikings scored a run in the top of the first against Monmouth starter Ethan Zaayenga (Tremont, Illinois). A lead off single, stolen base and infield single put runners on the corners with one out and a groundout scored the run.

Monmouth loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning but came up empty. Daniel Lummus (New Port Richey, Florida) led off with a walk and Alexander Dye (Albuquerque, New Mexico) singled with one out. Guillermo singled to center to load the bases but a 6-4-3 double play ended the threat without a run.

Lawrence pushed the lead to 2-0 in the second inning with a solo home run. They extended the lead in the third with a single, walk and single before Hunter Wheat (Athens, Illinois) started a spectacular double play to help get the Scots out of the inning. The visitors added an unearned run in the fourth to lead 4-0.

Dye led off the fourth with a single for Monmouth and he moved to second on a wild pitch. Clayton Matkovic (Sherrard, Illinois) doubled to right-center to get the Scots on the board and Aiden Scott (Carrollton, Texas) singled to bring home another run. Wheat and Gabriel Zeigler-Harris (East Peoria, Illinois) both walked to load the bases but a flyout ended the inning.

Owen Wolfe (Galesburg, Illinois) took over in the sixth and Lawrence scored on a bases loaded walk to lead 5-2. They added two more on a single and a 3-run homer put the Vikings on top 10-2.

Monmouth loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the sixth but didn't score. Tyler Ithal (Mokena, Illinois) pitched the seventh and allowed three runs with a bases loaded hit batter and 2-run single. Guillermo singled in the bottom of the seventh but was left on base as Lawrence closed out the run-rule win.

Zaayenga allowed three earned runs on eight hits over five innings while striking out two. He took the loss, falling to 1-3 on the season.

GAME TWO

Toby Turnquist (Monmouth, Illinois) pitched out of trouble in the top of the first, stranding a pair of runners. Campen walked with one out in the bottom of the inning and he stole second. With two down, Guillermo singled to center for a 1-0 lead. Matkovic walked and Nate Reed (Chenoa, Illinois) singled home Guillermo for a 2-0 advantage.

Turnquist got a strike out looking to strand a pair of Vikings in the third. Guillermo led off the third with his fourth single of the day and Matkovic walked. Reed sacrificed to put two in scoring position and Scott drove home Guillermo with a single to left. Wheat doubled to center for a 4-0 lead and Lawrence changed pitchers. With two outs, Lummus crushed a 3-run homer to left field, his first of the season, for a 7-0 lead.

Turnquist kept the Vikings off the board for the next two frames and Reed launched a solo homer off a lefty reliever for an 8-0 lead in the fifth. Turnquist turned in a 1-2-3 sixth inning and retired the first two in the seventh before a bloop single to left was his first hit allowed since the third inning.

Brandon Coats (Mapleton, Illinois) took over in the eighth. Lawrence got on the board with a double, groundout and wild pitch.

Monmouth pushed the lead to 9-1 in the eighth inning as Guillermo hit a monster home run to the American Legion across the street in left field. The homer is his fourth of the season and 19th career, tying Mike Dato for the Monmouth career record.

Nick Villa (El Segundo, California) took over on the mound in the ninth and started the frame with a strikeout. He gave up a hit but finished off the inning without allowing a run.

Turnquist threw seven shutout innings as he allowed four hits and struck out three. He picked up the win to move to 2-3 on the season.

MONMOUTH MOMENTS: Guillermo tied Mike Dato (2018-21) for the career home run record with 19 ... He also moved past Ryan Stubler, Matt Temaner and Jason Salmon and is now sixth on the career AB list with 467 ... He moved past Caleb Ruyle and Austin Hardy for 14th on the hits list with 140 ... He also moved past Craig Foxall for 8th on the total bases list with 234 ... He moved past Grant Myers for 2nd with 112 RBI ... Ryan Stubler holds the record with 113 ... Guillermo also passed Dato for 15th in games played with 126Lummus moved into the top 25 as he surpassed 400 career at-bats, passing Tyler Ulfig for 23rd on the career list ... Guillermo and Dye both had two hits in game one ... Guillermo had three hits in game two while Scott, Wheat and Reed had two hits in game two ... Guillermo and Scott had hits in both games ... Dye had a 4-game hit streak snapped in game two ... Wheat's double was his first career hit and his second RBI ... He also had his first career multi-hit game and his first stolen base ... Lummus last homered at Grinnell, exactly one year ago today ... Reed has five career homers and Saturday's was his first homer at home .... Reed has 40 career RBI ... The seven innings are tied for the second most in Turnquist's career ... He threw nine innings against Ripon on April 20, 2024 and also threw seven against Lawrence last May ... The seven innings without allowing a run is a career-high ... The Scots are 12-9 all-time against Lawrence, 7-6 under Betourne ... Monmouth won the season series in 2011, 2018, 2022 and 2023 ... Lawrence won the season series in 1979 and 2024 ... The teams are scheduled to play the series finale at Noon on Sunday.