WARREN – An early 7-2 hole proved to be too much to overcome on Saturday (March 29) as the visiting Schoolcraft College Ocelots held off a late Monarch rally to win, 7-6. The narrow loss drops the Monarchs to 12-8 overall and 3-2 in MCCAA East play.

After holding two separate one-run leads early, the Monarchs struggled to get runs across as the Ocelots plated six unanswered to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 7-2 advantage. The Monarchs rallied with a four-run bottom of the eighth and had the game-tying run in scoring position before the Ocelots held off the comeback bid in the narrow decision.

Nathan Fidelino hit a double and a triple on the day to tie Luke Babcock for the team lead in hits with two. Dominic Cavacini connected on a pinch-hit, two-RBI single as part of the four-run eighth and Jack Saputo kept the Monarchs in it late with three dominant innings of no-hit, six-strikeout ball.

The Monarchs visit Davenport University to take on the Panther reserves for a doubleheader beginning at 3:30 p.m.