Monmouth's bid for a second straight Midwest Conference title ended Friday at Glasgow Field when the Scots dropped a 5-1 decision to South Division runner up Cornell in the league tournament's first elimination game.

 

Cornell touched starter Connor McDonald for a single run in the first inning and three more in the second, getting a key two-run double from Sage Sutter while starter Sam Kornstad allowed just one baserunner through the first three innings. The Scots stranded two in scoring position in the fourth, but broke through in the fifth when Jake Starkey's ground out plated Andrew Hardy who went 4-for-8 on the day. Monmouth was unable to get any more runs, ending the season as the South Division champions while compiling a 22-15 overall record.

 

The Scots fell into the consolation bracket after a narrow 4-3 loss in Game 1 against Ripon, the No. 2 seed in the North Division. The Red Hawks bunted their way to a 2-0 first inning lead, putting four on base without getting the ball out of the infield against Tyler McDonald. Ripon scratched out a solo run in the third for a 3-0 lead, but Monmouth answered with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the frame. The Red Hawks added an insurance run with two outs in the fifth for just enough cushion after Hardy closed the gap to 4-3 with an RBI single in the sixth.

 

Monmouth will finish as hosts of the MWC Tournament with Cornell and the University of Chicago playing in a 10 a.m. elimination game Saturday with the winner to meet Ripon 30 minutes after the conclusion of the elimination game.