Monarchs split doubleheader with Richmond

ADRIAN – The Michigan Monarchs split a doubleheader with the Richmond Jazz on Thursday, dropping Game 1, 3-1, and winning Game 2, 5-1.

Coming out of the GLSCL All-Star break with the best record in the league, the Monarchs (21-11) six-game win streak was snapped by the Jazz in a game Monarchs pitcher Brendan Moran referred to as an “outlier.” Richmond starter and GLSCL All-Star Matt Dickey (1.06 ERA) continued his league-wide dominance with one of his sharpest outings yet, allowing only one run over a seven-inning complete game.

Monarchs coach Ben Komonosky said the three-day All-Star break was good to give his players some rest but admitted time away from their routine helped play a role in their sluggish Game 1 performance.

“We had a slow start against a really good pitcher,” he said. “(We’re) usually not set up for success when that happens.”

Game 2 served as a return to form for one of the most well-rounded teams in the GLSCL as the Monarchs flipped the script on the Jazz, letting up only one run and plating five for an offense that’s surged over their last 16 games.

In Game 1, Dickey and Monarchs starter Kevin Korte needed the first inning to settle in before the Jazz took an early lead in the top of the second after Brandon Schrepf scored on a wild pitch that slipped through catcher Patrick Ilitch’s legs. Richmond plated two more in the top of the fourth after Peyton Lane’s 2-run double scored Schrepf and Jojuan Wimbley for the 3-0 lead.

Dickey cruised from the second inning on, retiring eight straight batters before Joe Kido reached first on a throwing error in the bottom of the fourth. Kido proceeded to steal second, third and scored on Hayden Jatczak’s RBI groundout to get the Monarchs on the board.

Sandyn Cuthrell and Kido notched singles in the fifth and sixth respectively but Dickey completely shut down the Monarchs offense the rest of the way. The GLSCL leader in wins and strikeouts stayed one step ahead of hitters to retire six straight batters and close out a seven-inning complete game effort for the 3-1 win.

“I knew when he started against us today, we were in for a challenge,” Komonosky said. “He did what he does: filled up the zone, challenged us all day and we just couldn’t get anything going on him.”

Dickey (seven innings, one run, four hits, zero walks, six strikeouts) earned the complete game win while Korte (four innings, five hits, three runs, one walk, three strikeouts) took the loss. T.J. Potcova (three innings, zero runs, zero hits, three walks, three strikeouts) managed his best outing of the season in relief of Korte.

Longstaff, Cuthrell, Kido and Jatczak each notched a hit in the losing effort.

Richmond took another early lead in Game 2 after Cade Parker’s RBI groundout scored Leandre Turner in the top of the first. The Monarchs didn’t waste any time responding, loading the bases on Richmond starter Luke Leverton and knotting the game at one run apiece after Camden Colman’s sacrifice fly.

In the second, Leverton hit Henry Brown and Ian Francis with pitches in back-to-back plate appearances before walking Reece Longstaff to load the bases for the second inning in a row. Kido stepped up to the plate and delivered a 2-run groundout to give the Monarchs a 3-1 lead.

Moran and Leverton settled in for 1-2-3 half-innings in the third before the Jazz threatened again in the top of the fourth. Conor O’Malley dropped a leadoff double into left field and Moran walked Chandler Skelly and Kyle Kuramoto back-to-back to load the bases with one out.

Recognizing Moran was starting to speed up, Komonosky visited the mound as tension started to mount.

“(I) went out there just to give him a minute to breathe a little, try to calm down, try to make him laugh a little,” he said. “It seemed to work.”

Moran finally got ahead in the count and struck out Wimbley and Turner swinging to get out of the jam . With momentum squarely on their side, the Monarchs went on to extend their lead in the bottom of the fourth off Longstaff’s 2-run home run over the left field fence, his third of the year.

“I knew it was gone,” Longstaff said. “I was little worried because the ball wasn’t carrying as much today. Had to get on my bike a little bit but got a good chunk of it.”

Jaylen Jones came in in relief of Moran (four innings, two hits, one run, three walks, four strikeouts) in the fifth and pitched one perfect inning to hold Richmond before making way for Jatczak to close things out.

Entering in the sixth, Jatczak gave up O’Malley’s second double to left before striking out six consecutive batters to wrap up the 5-1 win and doubleheader split for the Monarchs.

“The sun got to our left fielder a little bit there to start the eighth, so I had to take it into my own hands,” Jatczak said.

Longstaff (2-for-2 with two RBIs, one walk) and Kido (1-for-2, two RBIs) led the Monarchs at the plate while Tyler Nelson and Jack Fitzharris contributed to the winning effort with one hit apiece.

Jones (one inning, zero runs, zero hits, zero walks, one strikeout) earned the win and Jatczak (two innings, zero runs, one hit, zero walks, six strikeouts) picked up the save as the Monarchs moved one win closer to clinching a GLSCL playoff berth.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: monarchs split doubleheader with richmond jazz