XENIA — The host Xenia Scouts used a big hit, a heads-up offensive play, and a key RBI to rally past the Lake Erie Monarchs, 5-4, in a Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League baseball game at Grady’s Field in the Athletes In Action Sports Complex.
The Scouts (7-6) got out in front 1-0 in the fourth inning when starting pitcher/designated hitter Cody Kanclerz of Hillsdale College (Mich.) doubled to right field to score Hunter DeLanoy, of Wayne State.
Lake Erie (5-6) battled back with two runs of their own in the top of the sixth, then a Nolan Clegg two-run home run put the Monarchs out in front 4-1. Clegg is a sophomore at Ohio State.
Xenia exploded for four runs in the bottom of the eighth, however, to take the win.
Cochise College’s Steven Saunders hit his second home run of the season, a three-run shot over the right-field fence, to score himself, DeLanoy, and Muskingum College sophomore Brett Carson. Saunders currently leads the GLSCL with 16 runs batted in.
Then Kanclerz kept the eighth inning going with some heads up baserunning after a third strike. Kanclerz raced safely to first, saw that the Monarchs catcher was still chasing down the wild pitch, and continued on around to second. The next batter up, Alabama Huntsville junior Will Acuff, then smacked a single into right field to score Kanclerz with the go-ahead run.
Scouts closer Jared Couch of Houghton College (N.Y.) retired the Monarchs in order in the ninth inning to clinch the win.
NEXT: The Xenia Scouts and Lake Erie Monarchs are scheduled to play the second game of their two-game series at 7:05 p.m. Wednesday, June 19 at Grady’s Field, located on the Athletes In Action Sports Complex in Xenia.
Watkins Co-Pitcher of the Week
Polk State College lefthander Timothy Watkins, of the Xenia Scouts was named Co-Pitcher of the Week by the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League, for Week 2 of the season. Watkins pitched a complete-game seven-inning victory, recording 15 strikeouts without giving up a walk and scattering five hits.
Watkins shared the weekly honor with fellow pitcher Jake Kates of the Hamilton Joes. Chris Gambert, of the Southern Ohio Copperheads was named the GLSCL’s Player of the Week.
