1999 Women's Softball -- Results and Game Summaries

3/23/99 vs. MacMurray 1-4, 7-6 (1-1)
Monmouth split its season opener at home as the Scots began play on their new softball diamond. This year is the first in several seasons the team is playing its home games on campus. The first-game jitters showed in the opener as the Fighting Scots committed seven fielding errors which led to all four unearned runs for MacMurray. Senior pitcher Sherilyn Daniels was the victim of sloppy fielding and suffered the loss in her first start of the season. Rebecca Evans was credited with the victory in the nightcap as Monmouth scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Erin Fink hit an RBI single and Sandy Ryner followed with an RBI triple to spark the offensive outburst. The Scots had to survive a two-run MacMurray rally in the seventh and the tying run was thrown out at home for the final out of the game on a great defensive stop by catcher Beth Stannke, who also connected for two doubles at the plate.

3/25/99 vs. Illinois Wesleyan 2-1, 0-3 (2-2)
Monmouth earned another split against a non-conference opponent at home to stay at the .500 mark. Sherilyn Daniels stopped the Lady Titans on four hits in the opener and MC rallied for two runs in their half of the fifth inning for the win. Heather Downing and Erin Fink drove in one run each and Monmouth received a solid defensive effort in the field. Daniels only allowed seven hits and three runs in the second game but the Scots could not dent the plate with any run support. Angie Myers' pinch-hit single in the fifth was the Scots' only hit of the game.

3/27/99 at Culver-Stockton 1-2, Hannibal-LaGrange 11-10 (3-3)
The softball team began their spring break trip with a two-game stopover in Missouri. Sherilyn Daniels could not make a first-inning single run stand up as Culver-Stockton pushed across two runs in their final at-bat to snatch the victory. In the second game it was the Fighting Scots who performed the heroics as Monmouth, trailing 10-2 after four innings, scored three times in the fifth, once in the sixth and five runs in the seventh to claim the come-from-behind victory. Freshman Olivia Newton started on the mound and surrendered seven runs in three innings before Daniels came on in relief. Heather Downing's two-run single keyed the winning Monmouth rally. Erin Fink and Sandy Ryner delivered with clutch RBI hits before Beth Stannke's two-out RBI single drove in the game-winning run.

3/29-30/99 at Univ. of West Florida (Pensacola,FL)
3/29 - West Virginia Wesleyan 0-6 (3-4); Union, Tenn. 2-10 (3-5)
Facing a strong Division II opponent Monmouth was shut out in its first Spring Break game in Florida. West Virginia Wesleyan touched MC starter Sherilyn Daniels for six hits and six runs and Monmouth could only manage one single hit. In the second game NAIA opponent Union College struck for six runs in the second inning to jump out to an early lead. Erin Fink and Natalie Hacker drove in single runs in the third and sixth innings before Union tacked another four runs on the board in their half of the sixth. Daniels took the loss in both games.
3/30 - West Virginia Wesleyan 0-8 (3-6); Union, Tenn. 0-7 (3-7)
The Monmouth bats could not figure out the same opponents the second time around, suffering two shutouts and collecting only five hits in the two games. Freshmen Rebecca Evans and Olivia Newton took the losses for Monmouth, which again was the victim of the big inning. Wesleyan scored six times in the first three innings and Union exploded for a six-run outburst to put the Scots in the hole early.

4/02/99 at Maryville 1-9, 0-8 (3-9)
The softball team ended their spring break trip as they began it, with a doubleheader in Missouri. This time the opponent was Maryville and the Saints showed the travel-weary Scots no mercy, pounding out 16 hits and 17 runs. Monmouth trailed only 2-0 after four innings of the first game but Maryville scored five runs in the final two innings to seal the win. Sherilyn Daniels absorbed the loss for the Scots, who scored their lone run on a leadoff triple by Krista Gavlinski and an RBI grounder by Sara Larkin in the fifth. The nightcap saw the Scots suffer their fifth shutout of the season. DH Jen Witmer, Jessica Puntoni and Tonya Martin connected for the Scots' three hits. Olivia Newton started on the mound for Monmouth and took the loss.

4/09/99 at Millikin 3-2 (10 inn), 1-5 (4-10)
Monmouth picked up a split in its final action before beginning the Midwest Conference portion of its spring schedule. The Fighting Scots had to work overtime for their win in the opener, outlasting Millikin in 10 innings. Senior Sherilyn Daniels pitched a complete game, scattering 8 hits for her third victory of the season. Heather Downing's groundout scored a run in the first and her RBI single drove home another run in the sixth but it was a passed ball which allowed Erin Fink to scamper home with the winning run in the top of the tenth. Millikin roughed up Olivia Newton for five runs on nine hits in the nightcap to preserve the split. Sara Larkin's RBI double drove home Monmouth's lone run in the fifth.

4/11/99 vs. Knox 6-5, 14-4 (6-10, 2-0)
Monmouth began its Midwest Conference schedule in fine fashion, defeating arch-rival Knox in a league doubleheader at home. The Scots survived a five-run third inning by the Prairie Fire in the opener, scoring the eventual game-winning run on senior Beth Stannke's RBI double in the fourth inning. Olivia Newton socked a triple and scored two runs and Natalie Hacker also scored twice for Monmouth, who received a complete-game, five-strikeout performance from Sherilyn Daniels. Daniels (5-6) also picked up the win in the second game, which was called after five innings. Hacker went 2-for-4 with 5 RBIs and Krista Gavlinksi added three RBI. Monmouth's 12 hits included five extra-base hits (one double and four triples). Freshman Jen Witmer led Monmouth hitters with a 3-for-4 effort, including a triple and two singles. Witmer and Stannke each scored three runs.

4/14/99 vs. Illinois 5-7, 7-0 (7-11, 3-1)
Monmouth rebounded from its first MWC loss of the season to earn a split of its home doubleheader against conference rival Illinois College. Sherilyn Daniels pitched both games for the Scots, who had to fight back from an early deficit in the first game. An RBI single by Sandy Ryner and a two-run double by catcher Beth Stannke tied the score at 5-5 in the bottom of the fifth inning but IC rallied for two runs in the sixth for the win. Daniels regained the touch in the nightcap, allowing only three IC hits and pitching her first shutout of the season. Natalie Hacker went 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs, Jody Schaill collected three hits and drove in a run and Ryner had two singles and a triple as the Scots pounded out 11 hits.

4/17-18/99 at Augustana Invitational (Rock Island,IL) (9-14)
4/17 - Marycrest 3-4, UW-River Falls 1-3, UW-Platteville 2-4; 4/18 - MacMurray 7-2, Concordia 9-0
Despite the recent heavy rains, the Scots were able to participate in the Augustana Tournament over the weekend, posting a 2-3 record in five games. Monmouth lost all three games on Saturday but came back strong on Sunday to win their final two contests.

4/24/99 Monmouth Round Robin Tournament (11-15)
Knox 12-1, Marycrest 3-2, Eureka 0-6
Monmouth went 2-1 in three games at its home round-robin tournament, sharing first-place honors with both Eureka and Marycrest. The Scots opened the day with a 12-1 thrashing of MWC rival Knox behind the complete-game effort of Sherilyn Daniels and 10 hits. A six-run second inning gave the Scots all the runs they would need but the women came back with five more in the third. Seniors Heather Downing and Beth Stannke both went 2-for-3 with 3 RBIs. Three runs in the third inning against Marycrest stood up for a Scots' victory in the second game as freshman Olivia Newton went the distance on the mound for the win. Sandy Ryner and Jody Schaill collected RBIs for Monmouth before Natalie Hacker drove home the eventual game-winning run with a two-out single. Daniels was touched for four runs in four innings by Eureka in Monmouth's final contest of the tournament and took the loss as the Scots were unable to find the scoring column. Three hits were all the Scots could manage in the time-shortened game.

4/26/99 at Lake Forest 5-2, 5-7 (12-16, 4-2)
Monmouth strengthened its bid for a postseason berth in the Midwest Conference tournament with a split at Lake Forest. Monmouth won the important first game, which is the first tiebreaker in case of a tie among division teams, by a 5-2 score as freshman Jen Witmer's two-run homer highlighted the Scots' offense. Witmer's blast came in the second inning and sparked the Scot bats, which responded with 11 hits. Beth Stannke and Natalie Hacker added RBI doubles for Monmouth. The Foresters earned a victory in the nightcap, keyed by a four-run outburst in the third inning. Monmouth rallied for three runs in the sixth, including a two-run home run by Downing, but fell short.

4/28/99 at Grinnell 5-2 (11), 1-4 (13-17, 5-3)
A thrilling, extra-inning victory in the first game at Grinnell clinched Monmouth's fourth Midwest Conference softball tournament appearance in the last five seasons. The Scots hold the tiebreaker over both Lake Forest and Grinnell and locked up second place in the MWC South with the split. Jen Witmer again was the hitting hero for Monmouth, blasting a dramatic three-run homer in the top of the 11th inning. Beth Stannke broke a 1-1 tie with an RBI single to drive home Sandy Ryner before Witmer crushed her second home run in three games. Sherilyn Daniels pitched all 11 innings for the victory, improving her season record to 10-11. Olivia Newton took the loss in the second game as the Pioneers salvaged a split of the doubleheader. Newton's RBI double in the second inning accounted for the lone Scots run.

5/08/99 MWC Tournament (at Lawrence) (15-19)
Lawrence 0-6, Illinois 6-0, Carroll 1-0, Lawrence 0-7 (2nd place)
After an opening-round loss in the Midwest Conference postseason tournament at Lawrence the Fighting Scots battled their way back to the title game against the host Vikings. Monmouth was defeated 6-0 in the opener by LU ace Sara Schye, who struck out 12 and gave up only four hits. MC found its stroke in the second game, pounding IC pitching for 11 hits and six runs while Sherilyn Daniels and Olivia Newton shut down the Lady Blues, allowing only one hit in seven innings. Heather Downing and Jody Schaill each collected two doubles and five different players knocked in runs. Monmouth next eliminated Carroll as Sandy Ryner's RBI single in the third inning stood as the game's lone score. Daniels pitched a complete-game shutout, scattering four hits. In the title game Monmouth again faced Schye, who fanned 10 batters. Daniels took the loss, allowing three runs in the second and another pair in the third inning to give the Vikings a comfortable cushion. With the victory Lawrence claimed its third straight MWC softball title. Monmouth ended its spring season at 15-19 and the second-place conference finish was the team's best since finishing second in 1996.

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