Scots Softball Swept by Fontbonne

Monmouth posts 10-run inning but falls in both games

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill (03/11/2021) — The Monmouth College Fighting Scots softball team scored 10 runs in an inning but lost both games of a double header against Fontbonne on Wednesday night. The Scots dropped the opener 3-1 and led 10-0 before losing game two 11-10 on a walk-off single in the eighth inning.

In game one of the double header the Scots took their first lead of the season in the top of the fourth inning. Calista Warmowski (Spring Grove, Illinois) led off with a double and Jessica Pauley's (Moline, Illinois) single gave Monmouth a 1-0 lead.

Fontbonne answered in the bottom of the inning against freshman pitcher Abby Leber (Tremont, Illinois). After a single and a passed ball with two outs, the Griffins tied the game on a single by Grace Harlin.

The hosts took the lead in the fifth inning with a walk, sac bunt, single and an error. Grace Paez gave Fontbonne a 3-1 lead with a single to right. The Scots had a chance in the seventh as MyKenzie Kloess (Dupo, Illinois) singled to start the frame and Brittney Enos (Fisher, Illinois) doubled with one out. But the next two batters went down on strikes as Fontbonne won 3-1.

Game two was scoreless after two innings, Madelyn Belville (Rushville, Illinois) reached on an error to start the third and Kloess tripled to right for a 1-0 Monmouth lead. Pauley was hit by a pitch and Alison Trettin's (Manito, Illinois) single gave the Scots a 2-0 lead. After a walk and a pop out, Jenna Pauley (Moline, Illinois) singled home two runs for a 4-0 Monmouth lead and a Fontbonne error scored another run. Allie Ramlo (Tremont, Illinois) doubled home two and the Griffins changed pitchers. Jessica Pauley drove in Belville with a single and Trettin's double plated two more for a 10-0 lead

Fontbonne plated three in the third against Jenna Pauley with three hits and a Scots error. They added three more with four hits in the fourth against reliever Emilie Cain (Lake Villa, Illinois) to cut Monmouth's lead to 10-6.

Neither team scored in the fifth but the Griffins plated two in the sixth with four hits. After the first run scored, Leber took over on the mound with two runners on base and one out. She allowed an inherited run to score but stranded a runner at third base.

Monmouth led 10-8 going into the bottom of the seventh. Fontbonne got a walk and two singles to load the bases before an infield hit cut the Scots lead to one. Monmouth did get an out on the play with an over-run of third base and Leber picked up a second out on a grounder to shortstop. However, Fontbonne tied the game on an infield hit before Monmouth sent the game to extras with a pop-up.

In the eighth the Scots got a one-out single from Trettin but Fontbonne induced a 6-4-3 double play to end the frame. A bunt single and a stolen base started the bottom of the eighth and Fontbonne won 11-10 when Abby Richmond singled to center.

Monmouth Moments: The 10-run third inning in game two is tied for the fifth-best inning in program history…The school record for runs in an inning is 14, set on April 26, 2006 against Knox…The Fighting Scots last scored exactly 10 runs in an inning on April 28, 2000…The last time they scored more than 10 runs in an inning was April 26, 2014 with 11 runs against Grinnell…Jessica Pauley, Sarah LaHood (East Peoria, Illinois) and Kloess all had a hit in both games…Jessica Pauley had a RBI in both games…Trettin drove in three runs in the 10-run inning with two hits in the frame…Leber (0-3) struck out a career-high seven in game one but took the loss in both games…Jenna Pauley did not allow an earned run in her three innings as the game two starter and she struck out three…Monmouth now has 17 days off before a 1 p.m. double header against Illinois College on Saturday, March 27…Those games against IC will not count in the MWC standings.

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