Monmouth College 2007 Softball - Results and Game Summaries

April 29, 2007 at Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa
Monmouth 10, Grinnell 8, 8 inn.
Monmouth 6, Grinnell 4 (10-19, 5-8)
After leading in nearly every MWC game they've played this year, the Fighting Scots tried a different approach in Iowa, rallying for a pair of victories that were both saved by Blayre Scott. Monmouth's day did not get off to a good start, as the Pioneers took a quick 5-0 lead in the first inning of the opener. But the Scots battled back to tie the score in the fourth and, in extra innings, pushed across four runs in the top of the eighth. Kembra Bell knocked in the go-ahead run and Maggie Dort's two-run double provided some key insurance. After Sarah Christensen surrendered a pair of two-out walks in the bottom of the frame, Scott came on and induced a game-ending pop-out. Grinnell took a 4-3 lead in the nightcap, but the Scots pushed across three runs in the bottom of the third, with the lead run scoring on Amanda Cozzi's bunt single. Reliever Amanda Murdock nearly earned a four-inning save, but after giving up two singles in the seventh, Scott was summoned from the 'pen once again and fanned the Pioneers' final batter. Drew Robinson and Dort both had four hits on the day, and Robinson added four steals to increase her MC career record.

April 27, 2007 vs. Illinois College, Monmouth, Ill.
IC 3, Monmouth 1
IC 5, Monmouth 2 (8-19, 3-8)
With their postseason hopes on the line, the Scots put up a great fight against the visiting Lady Blues but came up on the short end of two well-played games. On the day, the teams combined for just one error and six walks while playing crisp softball. Monmouth held a 1-0 lead in the opener thanks to Kembra Bell's RBI single in the fifth, but IC countered with two runs in the sixth, breaking the tie on Katie Perry's double. The Lady Blues added an insurance run in the seventh, and Kristen Schmalz closed out her complete-game win in the bottom of the frame. The Scots jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the nightcap, but IC reliever Sarah Holloway closed the door over the final five frames, surrendering just a hit and a walk. With the score tied at 2-2 in the sixth, IC pushed across three runs with two outs. A wild pitch scored the first tally, and Perry then slapped a two-run single. Drew Robinson was 3-for-6 on the day and set the MC career record for stolen bases.

April 24, 2007 vs. Knox College, Monmouth, Ill.
Monmouth 8, Knox 5
Monmouth 8, Knox 0 (8-17, 3-6)
Two down, four to go. The Fighting Scots stayed in contention for a playoff spot by sweeping the first of this week's three doubleheaders. Valerie Mitchell was lights out in the nightcap, allowing just two hits and a walk, while table-setter Drew Robinson went 3-for-3 and scored twice. Jackie Hennenfent added a solo home run. In the opener, Kembra Bell's three-run double in the second inning staked the Scots to a 5-0 lead, and they held on from there. Emily Willems and Kristin Bickett each added two RBIs. Monmouth needs to sweep Illinois College on Thursday and, most likely, Grinnell on Sunday to advance to next weekend's four-team MWC tourney.

April 21, 2007 at Lake Forest College, Lake Forest, Ill.
Lake Forest 8, Monmouth 4
Lake Forest 17, Monmouth 5 (6-17, 1-6)
The Fighting Scots can't afford any more league losses after being swept by the division-leading Foresters. Monmouth traded runs with Lake Forest for much of the opener, but the Scots couldn't match the Foresters' three-run sixth. Emily Willems' two-run single in the fifth put the Scots ahead 4-3, but the Foresters got the runs right back on a pair of homers, including one by Christy Condon. In the nightcap, Lake Forest pounded three more home runs as part of its 17-hit attack. Condon's three-run blast in the sixth was the key blow in an eight-run seventh-inning. She finished the twinbill with six RBIs. Maggie Dort led the Scots on the day with five hits.

April 16, 2007 at Midwest Conference Classic, Janesville, Wis.
St. Norbert 10, Monmouth 1
Beloit 2, Monmouth 1 (6-15, 1-4)
A seven-run fourth inning, which featured four St. Norbert home runs, broke open a tight game that the Scots actually led thanks to Jackie Hennenfent's second-inning RBI single. The Green Knights No. 2 and 3 hitters, Angela Flood and Lauren Marciano, fueled a 13-hit attack by going a combined 6-for-6. Against Beloit, Monmouth also held a 1-0 lead thanks to Emily Willems' RBI single in the fourth. But the Bucs got both of their runs in the bottom of the fifth, with the second one being unearned. Anna Coutts had two hits in both games and finished the Classic with six hits in 14 at-bats. Willems also had six hits at the event.

April 15, 2007 at Midwest Conference Classic, Janesville, Wis.
Monmouth 6, Carroll 4
Lawrence 8, Monmouth 0
Ripon 5, Monmouth 4 (6-13, 1-2)
The battery of Kristin Bickett and Valerie Mitchell got the Fighting Scots off to a solid start at the weather-delayed MWC Classic. Bickett's two-run single in the bottom of the sixth stretched the Scots' lead vs. Carroll to 6-2, and Mitchell survived a shaky seventh, stranding the tying runners on base. Anna Coutts, Kembra Bell and Emily Willems each had two hits in the victory. Lawrence's Catherine Marinac was dominant in the next game, with only a one-out single in the fifth by Jackie Hennenfent preventing a no-hitter in the six-inning contest. The Scots had only three baserunners, with the other two coming in the second on an error and a walk. In their third contest of the day, the Scots had held a 3-0 lead after Willems' two-run double in the third, but the Red Hawks rallied off Mitchell when Natalie Geenen hit what proved to be a game-winning two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth.

April 1, 2007 at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Terre Haute, Ind.
Monmouth 7, Rose-Hulman 5, 8 inn.
Monmouth 4, Rose-Hulman 2 (5-11)
Ashley Parer halted a four-game Fighting Scots losing skid with a two-run homer in extra innings in the opener, and by the time the doubleheader was over, Monmouth was on a two-game winning streak thanks to Valerie Mitchell's strong pitching performance in the nightcap. Kembra Bell smacked a two-run double in the fifth and a two-run single in the sixth to stake the Scots to a 5-2 lead, but the hosts rallied off Sarah Christensen to force extra innings. Parer then delivered her clutch roundtripper in the first extra frame, and Christensen worked out of a two-on, one-out jam in the bottom of the inning. Bell continued her big day with Monmouth's first RBI in the nightcap, and Jackie Hennenfent and Anna Coutts added run-scoring hits as the Scots produced all their scoring in the third. Mitchell scattered seven hits as she improved her record to 3-5. Drew Robinson was 5-for-8 on the day and Emily Willems had four hits in the opener.

March 29, 2007 vs. Augustana College, Monmouth, Ill.
Augustana 5, Monmouth 2
Augustana 10, Monmouth 0 (3-11)
For the second time in three days, the Fighting Scots hosted a nationally ranked team and suffered a similar fate, albeit the outcome was reached in a different way. 25th-ranked Augustana edged Monmouth 5-2 in the opener before scoring seven unearned runs in the nightcap to complete the sweep with a 10-0 win. Losing pitcher Sarah Christensen held the Vikings in check in game one scattering seven hits and allowing three runs through five innings as Anna Coutts' first career home run, a solo shot in the fifth, cut the Scots' deficit to 3-2. The Vikings added breathing room with Lorena Cernetisch's solo homer in the seventh which ended the scoring. The Scots were stymied in game two by Augustana's Jordan Huff who notched the save in game one and posted the win in game two. The Scot managed just three hits in the game and hurt themselves with five errors.

March 27, 2007 vs. Illinois Wesleyan University, Monmouth, Ill.
IWU 9, Monmouth 3
IWU 11, Monmouth 0 (3-9)
The nation's 11th-ranked team lived up to its billing, totaling 20 runs and 30 hits in a doubleheader sweep. Both games were decided early, as the Titans scored six runs in the first inning of the opener and five in the second of the nightcap. The Scots' bright spots were limited to a pair of three-hit performances. Maggie Dort was 3-for-5 on the day and Drew Robinson had three hits in seven at-bats, allowing her to maintain a lofty .500 average. IWU's hitting stars included Valerie Hackett, who had five hits and five RBIs, and Ashley Deck and Monica Urban, who were both 4-for-5. Lisa Narotsky slugged a solo home run in the five-inning nightcap.

March 21, 2007 at MacMurray College, Jacksonville, Ill.
MacMurray 2, Monmouth 1
Monmouth 5, MacMurray 3 (3-7)
For a while, the Fighting Scots' Valerie Mitchell flirted with the best-pitched game in team history. She settled for a victory that gave Monmouth a split against the host Highlanders. Mitchell retired the first 15 batters she faced, striking out nine of them, as the Scots took a 5-0 lead into the bottom of the sixth. It got dicey from there, as seven Highlanders reached base in the final two frames. Amanda Murdock came on in the seventh to earn the save as MacMurray left the tying runs stranded. Drew Robinson had an RBI double and scored twice to carry the offense. The center fielder went 4-for-6 on the day, raising her average to .515. The opener was a well-played game that was decided when the Highlanders' Lee Miller slapped a two-out RBI single in the fourth to break a 1-1 tie. Maggie Dort had an RBI single for the Scots, while pitcher Sarah Christensen suffered the hard-luck loss.

March 16, 2007 at Tucson, Ariz.
North Central 2, Monmouth 1, 8 inn. (2-6)
The Fighting Scots lost their second one-run game in three days, falling in extra innings. Sarah Christensen took a 1-0 lead into the top of the sixth, but yielded a double and single to the first two batters to tie the game. Reliever Valerie Mitchell came on at that point, and she allowed only one hit, but it was costly. North Central started the first extra frame with a runner at second, and Mitchell surrendered an RBI double to put the Cardinals ahead. She pitched effectively out of a jam to keep the lead at one, but Monmouth was not able to answer in the bottom of the eighth, as two runners were thrown out on the bases. Jackie Hennenfent had two hits for the Scots, including an RBI double.

March 15, 2007 at Tucson, Ariz.
Monmouth 14, Medaille 7
Lakeland 6, Monmouth 1 (2-5)
Jackie Hennenfent belted a three-run homer and a two-run double as the Fighting Scots defeated Medaille for the second time in Arizona. Emily Willems added four hits and four RBIs to the Scots' 17-hit attack. Drew Robinson and Hennenfent had three hits apiece and Kembra Bell and Anna Coutts added two each. The Scots played error-free defense behind Sarah Christensen, who pitched the first six innings to earn her first victory of the year. In the nightcap, Robinson picked up two more hits to improve her average to .542, but Monmouth trailed throughout. The Scots pulled within 3-1 when Willems rapped an RBI double in the fifth, but Lakeland tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the sixth off Valerie Mitchell, who took the loss.

March 14, 2007 at Tucson, Ariz.
Knox 6, Monmouth 5
Kenyon 10, Monmouth 1 (1-4)
The Fighting Scots dropped a pair of games on each end of the spectrum, squandering a two-run lead in the final inning vs. Knox before being dominated in the nightcap. In the opener, Jackie Hennenfent belted a pair of run-scoring doubles to help stake the Scots to a 5-3 lead entering the bottom of the seventh. But the Prairie Fire quickly loaded the bases, then scored three runs on an error and two singles, including the game-winning hit by Cheyenne Cortez. Against Kenyon, Drew Robinson's two singles were the only thing that kept the Scots from being no-hit. One of those singles drove in Monmouth's only run of the game in the bottom of the second. Meanwhile, Kenyon scored in each of the game's five innings off Valerie Mitchell. Sarah Christensen took the loss in the opener.

March 12, 2007 at Tucson, Ariz.
Monmouth 8, Medaille 0
St. Scholastica 7, Monmouth 2 (1-2)
The Fighting Scots mastered pitching, fielding and offense to pick up their first victory of the season before dropping a wild, error-filled decision in their second game of the day. Handling the pitching duties in the opener was Valerie Mitchell, who scattered four hits and did not walk a batter while tossing the shutout. She received support from her defense, which did not commit an error, and from her offense, which slapped 11 hits, including a 3-for-3 day for Kembra Bell. Ashley Tocha, Jackie Hennenfent and Drew Robinoson each added two hits, and Robinson and Brooke Dean both drove in two. In the nightcap, Monmouth committed six of the game's 11 errors. Only three of the runs that pitchers Sarah Christensen and Amanda Murdock allowed were earned, but it was enough to give the Scots the second loss of their trip. Robinson had two more hits, including a triple, and Dean added two singles.

March 11, 2007 vs. Marian College, Tucson, Ariz.
Marian 8, Monmouth 3 (0-1)
Three Fighting Scots errors led to four unearned runs as they dropped their season opener. Kembra Bell's bases-loaded double brought Monmouth within 4-2 in the bottom of the third, but the Scots' Wisconsin foe plated pairs of runs in the fifth and seventh innings to keep them at bay. Drew Robinson had two hits for the Scots, while Sarah Christensen took the defeat. Tanya Rogers had four RBIs for Marian, which improved to 5-0 on the year.