Mariners 24, Monarchs 2
Mariners bury Monarchs with 12-run sixth in 24–2 rout
The Grand Lake Mariners turned Tuesday night into a one-sided avalanche, blasting the Michigan Monarchs 24–2 on June 23, 2026. Grand Lake scored in four different innings, but the game flipped from "lopsided" to "historic" with a 12-run sixth that put the mercy in a matchup that was already out of reach.
Grand Lake finished with 24 runs on 15 hits, drew 13 walks, and benefited from three Michigan errors. Michigan managed just two runs on four hits, with most of its limited offense coming through JJ Fontana, who drove in both Monarch runs.
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How it happened
First inning: Grand Lake breaks it open immediately
Michigan starter Hank Blackburn recorded just one out and was tagged for six runs. The Mariners didn't need big swings—Grand Lake piled up runs via control problems and traffic:
- RBI walk by Huston Dunn
- RBI HBP to Parker Vaughn
- RBI walk by Matthew Aldridge
- RBI walk by Marek Bolson
- RBI HBP to Landon Tiesing
- RBI fielder's choice by Maalik Perkins
By the time Michigan escaped the inning, it was 6–0, and the tone was set.
Middle innings: Mariners keep adding on
Michigan got on the board in the 3rd when Fontana reached on a fielder's choice to score Emmanuel Gutierrez (6–1). But Grand Lake answered right back in the bottom half and kept stacking runs:
- 4-run 3rd (including a 2-RBI single by Luke Wildes)
- 2-run 4th on RBI walks by Perkins and Brandt Kendall
Michigan's only other run came in the 5th, when Fontana singled up the middle to score Casey Robertson, trimming it to 12–2—briefly.
Sixth inning: 12-run knockout
Grand Lake's sixth was a full lineup stampede. The inning featured:
- CJ Filipek 3-run homer
- A run scoring on a throwing error by the catcher
- RBI single by Matthew Hutchinson
- RBI walk by Tiesing
- RBI walk by Perkins
- RBI single by Filipek
- Luke Wildes grand slam (4-run HR)
That sequence turned a 10-run game into a 24–2 blowout in a matter of minutes.
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Standout performers
Grand Lake
Luke Wildes: 3-for-5, 6 RBI, including a grand slam and a 2-RBI single
- CJ Filipek: 3-for-3 with a HR, 5 RBI, plus a walk
- Matthew Aldridge: a perfect 4-for-4, scored 4 runs, added a double and an RBI
- Maalik Perkins: 4 RBI, reached repeatedly with 2 walks, scored 3 runs
- Grand Lake patience: 13 walks and multiple hit-by-pitches helped fuel constant rallies.
Michigan
- JJ Fontana: drove in both Monarch runs (RBI FC in the 3rd, RBI single in the 5th)
- Michigan's lineup struck out 6 times and left 6 on base, with Evan Morrison stranding several (LOB 6).
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Pitching summary
Sean Krueckeberg (W, 1–0): 4.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 5 K, but 4 BB—wild at times, yet never threatened.
- Jackson Murcer: 2.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R to close it out.
Michigan's staff couldn't find the zone:
- Monarch pitchers combined for 13 walks and allowed 24 earned runs in 5.1 innings, with Andrew Huxman surrendering 12 runs (including both homers) over 2.0 innings.
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Final notes
The game was played at 322 Grand Lake Rd, Celina, OH and lasted 2:39. Grand Lake's offense produced 23 RBI on 24 runs, a sign of how consistently the Mariners turned baserunners into damage—especially in that decisive sixth inning.