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May 1, 2009 vs. Lake Forest College at Midwest Conference
Championships, Ripon, Wis.
Lake Forest 17, Monmouth 8 (17-19)
The Scots didn't have much in the tank after the 10-inning marathon
with Ripon and were eliminated from the conference tournament with a
17-8 loss to Lake Forest. A nine-run Forester second inning put Monmouth
in a hole they couldn't quite climb out of. Monmouth scored in each of
the first four innings to close the gap to 12-8, but Lake Forest added a
solo run in the fifth and four more in the sixth to put the game away.
Morgan Seiler led the Scots at the plate with three hits and two
runs scored as Monmouth was barely outhit in the game 17-14. Amanda
Murdock suffered the season-ending loss.
May 1, 2009 vs. Ripon College at Midwest Conference
Championships, Ripon, Wis.
Ripon 7, Monmouth 6 (10) (17-18)
Monmouth rallied, but Ripon scored last to defeat the Scots 7-6 in
10 innings in the first round of the Midwest Conference Championships at
Ripon, Wis. The Scots spotted Ripon a 4-0 lead through the first four
innings, but used a hit batsman and a Red Hawk error to score a pair of
runs in the fifth. The Scots tied the game 4-4 with a pair of unearned
runs in top of seventh and put the Red Hawks down in the bottom of the
inning to force extra innings. Monmouth looked like they had the upper
hand in the ninth when Morgan Seiler's two-out, two-run single
gave the Scots a 6-4 lead. Ripon came back in the bottom of the inning,
scoring the tying runs with four hits. The Red Hawks loaded the bases
with no outs in the 10th and won on a single to right. The loss offset
an eight-strikeout performance by Sarah Christensen and a
three-hit day by Ashley Parer and Lauren Bergstresser.
April 28, 2009 vs. Grinnell College at Grinnell,
Iowa
Game 1 - Monmouth 4 , Grinnell 0
Game 2 - Monmouth 7 (17-17, 8-5), Grinnell 0
The Scots not only broke a seven game losing streak with a 4-0 win
over Grinnell in the opener of a double-header, they also qualified as
the No. 2 South Division seed in this weekend's Midwest Conference
Tournament. Amanda Snyder broke a scoreless tie with an RBI
single in the third, driving in Maggie Dort. Snyder added an
insurance run in the sixth when Val Stier's base hit plated the
speedy Snyder. Leading 2-0 in the seventh, freshman Jessica Markley
came off the bench and promptly delivered a two-run single, driving in
Lauren Bergstresser and Colleen Zumpf, to give the Scots more
breathing room. Sarah Christensen picked up the complete game
win, striking out six and scattering four hits. Amanda Murdock
sat down the first nine batters she faced and had a no-hitter going
until the fifth of the Game 2 7-0 blanking of the Pioneers. Murdock got
plenty of offensive support as Ashley Parer, batting in the nine
spot, went 3-for-3 with a triple and two runs scored. All but two spots
in the lineup picked up hits. Ellissa Sexton worked a scoreless
seventh for the combined shutout.
April 23, 2009 vs. Cornell College at Mt. Vernon,
Iowa
Game 1 - Cornell 2, Monmouth 1
Game 2 - Cornell 2, Monmouth 0 (15-17)
The Monmouth pitching staff gave up just one earned run on the
night, but couldn't manage many scores of their own in a 2-1, 2-0
double-header loss at Cornell. The Scots missed an opportunity for a big
inning in the opener, scoring one run and loading the bases with one
out. Cornell got out of the inning by inducing a force out and a ground
out, making Lauren Bergstresser's lone run the only tally the
Scots would get. Two Monmouth errors in the fifth allowed the Rams to
plate two unearned runs and saddle Amanda Murdock with the
hard-luck loss. The senior scattered just three hits, struck out three
and walked one. Freshman pitcher Ellissa Sexton suffered a
similar fate in the nightcap. Sexton worked out of a first inning jam
before a pair of hits and an error in the third gave Cornell the only
run they would need. Another Scots' error in the sixth - their fifth of
the night - allowed the Rams to add an unearned insurance run.
April 21, 2009 vs. Augustana College at Monmouth,
Ill.
Game 1 - Augustana 8, Monmouth 0
Game 2 - Augustana 10, Monmouth 2 (15-15)
The Scots found runs hard to come by in an 8-0, 10-2 double-header
loss to Augustana. The Vikings jumped on reliever Ellissa Sexton
for four runs in the third inning to break open a 1-0 game in the
opener. Brittany Forney and Haley Lyons were the only
Scots able to manage hits in Game 1. The Vikings liked the third inning
in Game 2, scoring four runs to take a 4-0 lead. After Augustana added
three more in the fourth, the Scots pieced together three hits in their
half of the inning when Lauren Bergstresser's third hit of the
game drove in Natalie Giannini and Ashley Parer came home
when the left fielder mishandled the ball. Those would be Monmouth's
only runs despite pounding out nine hits in the game.
April 18, 2009 at Midwest Classic, Janesville,
Wis.
Beloit 13, Monmouth 3 (15-13, 6-5)
An eight-run fourth inning doomed the Scots in a 13-3 loss to the
Bucanneers on the final day of the Classic. Beloit put their first three
batters on against Amanda Murdock and didn't ease up when
Megan Butler came from the bullpen. Butler gave up just three hits,
but Beloit scored six runs (three earned) before saves-leader Ellissa
Sexton entered to get the third out. The Scots were out-hit 12-4 and
committed three errors.
April 18, 2009 at Midwest Classic, Janesville,
Wis.
St. Norbert 17, Monmouth 5 (15-12, 6-4)
Monmouth was nursing a 5-3 lead going into the top of the seventh
before St. Nobert exploded for 14 runs to down the Scots 17-5. Haley
Lyons knocked in a pair of runs for the Scots in their four-run
fourth to take a 4-1 lead. Brittany Forney led off the fifth with
a homer and Monmouth looked like they were on their way to a win. After
St. Norbert's leadoff batter struck out, the Green Knights sent 16
batters to the plate before the Scots could record another out. The loss
wasted a nine-strikeout performance by starter Sarah Christensen
who worked five innings of five-hit ball.
April 18, 2009 at Midwest Classic, Janesville,
Wis.
Ripon 4, Monmouth 3 (15-11, 6-3)
The Scots came back from a 3-0 deficit before falling to the Red
Hawks 4-3 in what was billed as the marquee matchup of Day 1 of the
Midwest Classic. Ripon posted three runs in the first two innings before
starter Ellissa Sexton settled in and didn't allow a hit over her
final four innings of work. The Scots came up with three runs on four
hits in the sixth to tie the game at 3-3. Ripon scored an unearned run
off reliever Megan Butler in the bottom of the seventh for the
win.
April 18, 2009 at Midwest Classic, Janesville,
Wis.
Monmouth 8 (15-10, 6-2), Carroll 0
Monmouth used a pair of three-run innings to power their way past
Carroll University 8-0 at the Midwest Classic. Erin Fitzpatrick's
two run single in the third staked the Scots to a 4-0 lead and it was
never in doubt after that. Maggie Dort started the three-run
fifth with a solo homer as Jessica Markley ended the game via the
mercy rule with a two run single. Amanda Murdock scattered six
hits and walked no one in evening her record at 5-5.
April 18, 2009 at Midwest Classic, Janesville,
Wis.
Monmouth 14 (14-10, 5-2), Lawrence 5
For the first two innings, it looked like Monmouth might be blown
out, spotting Lawrence a 5-1 lead. The Scots turned the tables on the
Vikings, scoring seven runs in the third and six more in the fourth on
their way to a 14-5 win. Amanda Snyder's triple - her second hit
in a four hit game - ignited the big third inning as the Scots batted
around. Monmouth used four singles, a walk and a pair of fielders'
choices to score seven runs and take a 7-5 lead. Maggie Dort,
Lauren Bergstresser and Snyder each drove in two runs in the fourth
as Monmouth batted around for the second straight inning. Snyder,
Bergstresser and Dort drove in three runs each to support Sarah
Christensen in her eighth win of the year.
April 16, 2009 vs. Illinois College at
Jacksonville,
Ill.
Game 1 - Monmouth 5, Illinois College 4
Game 2 - Illinois College 2, Monmouth 1 (13-10, 4-2)
The Scots split a pair of nail-biters with Illinois College, winning
the opener 5-4 and falling in the nightcap 2-1. Sarah Christensen
fanned 11 and Ellissa Sexton posted her fourth save in Game 1.
Ashley Parer put the Scots on the board with a leadoff homer in the
third, her first of three scores in the game. Colleen Zumpf then
made it a 2-0 game with an RBI single to drive home Lauren
Bergstresser who had tripled. Brittany Forney gave Monmouth a
comfortable 5-0 lead with a two-run single in the sixth before IC plated
four in the bottom of the inning. The Scots and Lady Blues traded scores in the fourth inning of
Game 2. Monmouth's Brooke Twohill tripled to lead off the fourth
and came home on a wild pitch to tie the game at 1-1. IC scored the
go-ahead run in the top of the seventh via a double and a two-out
single. The Scots went quietly in the bottom of the inning to slip to
4-2 in the Midwest Conference and remain in second place in the
division. Amanda Murdock worked the full seven and suffered the
loss. Bergstresser picked up six hits and a pair of stolen bases on the
day.
April 14, 2009 vs. Millikin University at Monmouth,
Ill.
Game 1 - Millikin 6, Monmouth 0
Game 2 - Monmouth 5 (12-9, 3-1), Millikin 4
After nearly being no-hit by Millikin in Game 1, the Fighting Scots
rebounded in Game 2 to earn a split. After managing just two hits in a
6-0 Game 1 loss, Monmouth pieced together just enough hits to pull out a
5-4 win in the nightcap. It was all about Millikin's pitching in the
opener as Krista Bechtold was working on a perfect game through five
innings. Brooke Twohill broke up the perfect game bid with a
leadoff single in the sixth. The Scots put four runners on base in the
inning, but couldn't get any past third. Twohill was the spoiler of a
perfect game try in the nightcap as well. Trailing 2-0 in the third,
Twohill led off the inning with a walk. The Scots drew two more walks in
the inning and used a throwing error on their way to a three-run inning,
capped by Morgan Seiler's two-run single to give Monmouth a 3-2
lead. The Scots added two much-needed insurance runs in the fifth as
Seiler picked up her second hit of the game and Colleen Zumpf
knocked in the Scots final tally. Amanda Murdock got the win,
scattering eight hits over 5.2 innings and Ellissa Sexton earned
her team-high third save.
April 11, 2009 vs. Knox College at Monmouth,
Ill.
Game 1 - Monmouth 12, Knox 0
Game 2 - Monmouth 13 (11-8, 3-1), Knox 7
Monmouth solidified their hold on first place in the Midwest
Conference South Division with a 12-0, 13-7 sweep of Knox. Sarah
Christensen fanned 10 in the opener and surrendered one first-inning
hit. The Scots exploded for five runs in the first inning, highlighted
by Brooke Twohill's three-run triple. Val Stier added a
three-run triple of her own in the Scots' four-run second. Knox' Brianna
Williams suffered the loss despite allowing no earned runs. Monmouth
swiped six bases in the nightcap and needed them all in the slugfest.
Monmouth plated four runs in the opening inning as Morgan Seiler
drove in two with her second double of the day. The Prairie Fire
answered with three in the bottom of the inning, but Monmouth opened the
gap again in the second when Haley Lyons' sac fly scored
Lauren Bergstresser and another Seiler double drove in Brittany
Forney. Erin Fitzpatrick's three-run homer in the fourth gave
the Scots some breathing room in their third conference win as Amanda
Murdock picked up the win. Forney and Seiler picked up four hits each in
the double-header. Bergstresser added four steals on the day.
April 8, 2009 vs. Robert Morris-Springfield at
Springfield,
Ill.
Game 1 - Monmouth 10, Robert Morris 2
Game 2 - Robert Morris 5, Monmouth 2 (9-8, 1-1)
The Scots' bats were blazing in a 10-2 Game 1 win over Robert
Morris-Springfield, but much cooler in a 5-2 loss in Game 2. Monmouth
used a four-run second to set the tone in the opener as Morgan Seiler's
two-run homer capped the inning. Brooke Twohill followed Seiler's
act, blasting a three-run shot in the third to put the game out of
reach. Starter Sarah Christensen rebounded from a shaky first
inning when she allowed two runs on three straight hits. Christensen
didn't allow any hits or runs after the first, fanning six to collect
her team-high fifth win. After banging out 12 hits in the opener, the
Scots could only must half as many in the nightcap. Robert Morris got
all the runs they would need in the first on three hits with the aid of
one walk and one error. Maggie Dort drove in Val Stier
with a base hit in the second for the Scots' first run. Monmouth added
one more in the fifth when Lauren Bergstresser tripled and came
home on Seiler's single. Seiler and Bergstresser each picked up three
hits in the twinbill.
April 4, 2009 vs. Lake Forest College at Lake
Forest,
Ill.
Game 1 - Monmouth 9, Lake Forest 2
Game 2 - Lake Forest 10, Monmouth 6 (8-7, 1-1)
Monmouth defeated Lake Forest for the first time since 2006 with a
9-2 win over the Foresters in Game 1 of the Midwest Conference
double-header, but dropped the Game 2 slugfest 10-6. The Scots got six
strong innings from starter Sarah Christensen who picked up her
fourth win while fanning eight and giving up just three hits. Two
unearned runs in the first and Maggie Dort's solo homer in the
second staked Christensen to a 3-0 lead. The Scots added two more runs
in the fourth, one in the sixth and iced the game with a three-run ninth
as Dort and Lauren Bergstresser each scored their third runs of
the game. Brittany Forney went 4-for-4 in the game with a pair of
RBIs. Natalie Giannini also drove in two. Monmouth appeared to be
on their way to a sweep, taking a 4-2 lead in the third inning of Game
2, but a pair of Lake Forest homers in a three-run fourth coupled with
another homer and five more runs in the fifth helped the Foresters gain
the split. Bergstresser swiped two bases in the nightcap to lead the
team with six steals.
March 26, 2009 vs. Illinois Wesleyan University at
Monmouth,
Ill.
Game 1 - Monmouth 3, Illinois Wesleyan 2
Game 2 - Illinois Wesleyan 5, Monmouth 0 (7-6)
With three runs in the bottom of the seventh, Monmouth became the
first team this season to defeat previously unbeaten and 18th ranked
Illinois Wesleyan as the Scots took the opener of the two-game set 3-2,
but fell 5-0 in the nightcap. Sarah Christensen held the Titans
in check until a leadoff double and a sacrifice fly in the fourth gave
IWU a 1-0 lead. The Titans touched reliever Megan Butler for a
run in the sixth before Ellissa Sexton came on in relief in the
seventh with the Scots trailing 2-0. Brittany Forney started the
Scots' rally with a leadoff walk and came home on Morgan Seiler's
double. A wild pitch then allowed Seiler to come home with the tying
run. After two straight walks with one out, Maggie Dort's bases
loaded fielder's choice drove Colleen Zumpf in with the winning
run. A day after recording two saves, Sexton picked up her second win.
IWU jumped on the Scots with three runs, one, earned in the top of the
first in Game 2 to set the tone. Starter Amanda Murdock held the
Titans to just three base runners over the next three innings before IWU
added two more runs in the fifth to put the Scots in a 5-0 hole.
Monmouth could only muster two hits in the game as Titans starter Val
Hackett fanned eight.
March 25, 2009 vs. MacMurray College at
Jacksonville,
Ill.
Game 1 -
Monmouth 5, MacMurray 4
Game 2 -
Monmouth 7 (6-5), MacMurray 4
The Scots tied a school record for home runs and got back on the winning track with a 5-4, 7-4
double-header sweep of MacMurray in Jacksonville. Monmouth blasted four
home runs in Game 2 and Amanda
Murdock notched the win with help from Ashley Tocha and
Ellissa Sexton. Brooke Twohill got the Scots going with a solo homer in
the third and Morgan Seiler duplicated the feat in the fourth. Nursing a 2-1
lead in the fifth, Ashley Parer ripped a two-run four-bagged and Brittany
Forney followed with a solo shot as the Scots moved above the .50
mark for the first time since 2004. Monmouth fought their way
through four errors in Game 1. The Scots
scored two unearned runs in the second to take a 2-1 lead
and increased the advantage to 5-1 with three runs in the fifth.
Lauren Bergstresser connected on a two-out triple and scored when Forney's ground ball was mishandled.
Seiler's
second hit of the game scored Forney and Natalie Giannini's RBI
single rounded out the Scots' scoring. MacMurray countered with two runs
in the bottom of the fifth and began the frame with a leadoff homer. Sexton
relieved Sarah Christensen in the sixth to notch her first
career save and move Christensen to 3-1.
March 19, 2009 vs. Eureka College at Monmouth,
Ill.
Game 1 -
Monmouth 2, Eureka 0
Game 2 -
Eureka 5, Monmouth 4 (8) (4-5)
Monmouth experienced both ends of the spectrum Thursday in a 2-0 win
over Eureka in Game 1 and a 5-4 extra inning loss to the Red Devils in
Game 2. Sarah Christensen pitched five strong innings, striking
out eight, and Ashley Tocha relieved as the duo held Eureka
hitless in the Game 1 win. The Scots got the only runs they would need
in the third when Colleen Zumpf scored on Lauren Bergstresser's
fielder's choice and Brooke Twohill came home on a throwing error
on the same play. Monmouth jumped out to a 4-1 lead in Game 2.
Twohill's single in the bottom of the second scored Maggie Dort
and Haley Lyons to put the Scots up 2-1. A batter later,
Bergstresser stroked a two-out, two-run single to plate Val Stier
and Twohill. Eureka touched reliever Megan Butler for three runs
in the seventh to force extra innings. The Devils' Tomi Tapper scored
the go-ahead run on Nicole Ropp's ground out to take the lead in the
eighth. Eureka set the Scots down in order in the bottom of the inning
to preserve the win.
March 13, 2009 vs. Wesleyan College (Conn.) at
Tucson, Ariz.
Monmouth 13 (3-4), Wesleyan 7
The Fighting Scots ended their spring trip with the same result – a
win – that they began their trip with. Monmouth pounded out 13 hits in a
13-7 win over Wesleyan College of Connecticut. The Scots posted
back-to-back five-run innings to gain a comfortable lead. The Scots
combined four hits, a walk and two Wesleyan errors to gain a 6-3
advantage in the third. Brooke Twohill, who had an RBI single in
the third, drove in two more with her second hit of the day in the
five-run fourth. Morgan Seiler gave the Scots more breathing room
with her fourth hit of the day in the seventh, driving in two runs.
Amanda Murdock picked up her first win of the season and got plenty
of support from Twohill’s three RBI day and Seiler’s 4-for-5 performance
at the plate with three RBIs.
March 13, 2009 vs. Central College at Tucson,
Ariz.
Central 8, Monmouth 0 (2-4)
Monmouth couldn’t recover from spotting Central four runs in the
first inning and fell to the Dutch 8-0. Lauren Bergstresser and
Val Stier were the only Scots to collect hits, getting one safety
each as Central’s pitchers faced just four batters over the minimum.
March 12, 2009 vs.
Peru
State College at
Tucson,
Ariz.
Peru
State 7, Monmouth 0 (2-3)
Monmouth and
Peru
State were locked in a pitcher’s dual
until the top of the fifth when
Peru
State pushed two runs across
the plate and never looked back in a 7-0 win over the Scots. Monmouth
surrendered four more runs in the sixth as PSC took advantage of a pair
of Scots errors. Ashley Tocha took the loss in relief.
Brittany Forney and Colleen Zumpf picked up a pair of hits as
the Scots pounded out 12 hits.
March 12, 2009 vs.
Northwestern College at Tucson,
Ariz.
Monmouth 7 (2-2), Northwestern 4
The Scots got back to the .500 mark
with a 7-4 win over Northwestern
College
(Iowa).
Sarah Christensen picked up her first win of the season as
Monmouth used hot bats to fight through four errors. Chelsea Merritt
drove home the Scots’ first run in the first, plating Amanda Snyder
from second. Haley Lyons, who went 2-for-3, blasted a two-run
triple in the second to give the Scots a 3-0 lead. After Northwestern
closed the gap with two runs in the fourth, the Scots came back with
four more in the fifth as Lyons provided the big blow again, a two-run
single to make it 7-2. Northwestern mounted a rally in the sixth with a
pair of runs before Megan Butler closed the game in the seventh
to pick up her first career save. Merritt and Val Stier joined
Lyons
in picking up a pair of hits each.
March 12, 2009 vs.
University
of La Verne at
Tucson,
Ariz.
La Verne
10, Monmouth 0 (1-2)
Monmouth ran into a buzz saw in
their third game of the season, a 10-0 loss to the
University
of La Verne. After
starter Ellissa Sexton held the Leopards to one run over the
first two innings, La Verne stacked three hits together and belted a
home run in a four-run third. The Scots mounted a threat in the top of
the fourth loading the bases on three straight walks but failed to get a
run across. La Verne
pounded out six more hits and five runs in the bottom of the inning to
end the game in the fifth via the mercy rule. Sexton suffered the loss
to drop to 1-1 on the season. Ashley Parer and Morgan Seiler
collected the Scots two hits.
March 11, 2009 vs. Baldwin-Wallace at Tucson, Ariz.
Baldwin-Wallace 10, Monmouth 4
The Scots got off to a sluggish start after their 10 inning marathon
with Oneonta and fell to Baldwin-Wallace 10-4. BW posted a four-spot in
the top of the first and added two more in the second. Monmouth scored
solo runs in the first, fourth, fifth and seventh innings. Lauren
Bergstresser scored the Scots first from third in the first inning
when Morgan Seiler was caught in a rundown. Amanda Snyder,
Ashley Parer and Seiler picked up RBIs for the Scots in the loss.
March 11, 2009 vs. SUNY College at Oneonta at Tucson, Ariz.
Monmouth 11, Oneonta 10 (11)
Monmouth enjoyed their season-opener so much, they decided to play
10 innings in an 11-10 win over SUNY College at Oneonta. Trailing 7-6 in
the bottom of the sixth, the Scots' Ashley Parer raced home with
the tying run on Morgan Seiler's double to center. Both teams
traded runs in the eighth. The Scots tied the game in their half of the
inning when Colleen Zumpf came home on a passed ball. Monmouth
again found themselves trailing, this time 11-8, heading into the bottom
of the 10th. Maggie Dort and Chelsea Merritt scored d to tie the
game when Brooke Twohill's sac bunt was thrown into right field.
Twohill wound up at third with no outs and scored the game-winner when
Brittany Forney collected her third hit of the game to make a
winner out of reliever Ellissa Sexton. |