Box Score The Monmouth College baseball team scored five runs in the bottom of the first but ultimately fell to Messiah University 7-6 on Thursday. The loss drops the Scots to 4-5 on the young season with two games left on the Spring Break trip. 

The scots got things going early on Thursday after Addison Fletcher (Monmouth, Illinois) struck out the side in the top of the first. Logan Komater (Ottawa, Illinois) was hit by a pitch and Nate Melvin (Ottawa, Illinois) singled with both runners moving up on a passed ball. With one out, Raul Guillermo (Miami, Florida) doubled to right-center for a 2-0 Scots lead. With two outs, Guillermo scored on a single by Jack Kuehte (Pekin, Illinois) and Christian Centeno (Miami, Florida) followed with a single. Anthony Ruggles (Aledo, Illinois) gave the Scots a 3-0 lad when he reached on an error and Tyler Houck (Park Ridge, Illinois) made it 5-0 with a double to right. 

Messiah scored a run in the fifth to get on the board against Fletcher. Monmouth answered that run in the bottom of the fifth. Kuethe doubled to right and with two outs, Ruggles singled to center for a 6-1 Monmouth lead. 

Messiah scored against Fletcher in the sixth and added two runs in the seventh against reliever Luke Kelty (Spring Valley, Illinois). Down 6-4, Messiah tied the game in the eighth and took a 7-6 lead in the ninth against Nate Kordzinski (Naperville, Illinois). Down 7-6, the Scots got a leadoff walk from Justin Bost (Reynolds, Illinois) in the ninth. With one out, Daniel Lummus (New Port Richey, Florida) walked but Messiah got out of the inning and preserved the one-run win. Monmouth left a runner in scoring position in each of the final three innings.

Fletcher allowed two runs on seven hits over six innings while striking out six and he left with a 6-2 lead. The Scots conclude their 11-game Spring Break trip on Friday with a double header against Geneva (PA) College. The first game is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. ET/9 a.m. CT.