1998 Game-by-Game Recaps and Boxscores

May 15, at Bethel (IN) College
MVNC dropped a 3-0 decision to second-seeded Bethel in the semifinals of the National Christian College Athletic Association National Tournament as the Cougars' three-year reign as NCCAA champions came to an end. Mike Waddell (5-3) suffered the loss as he gave up six hits, five walks, and three earned runs over seven innings. He also struck out three batters. Sean Barrett and Chris Stanifer each recorded two hits to lead the MVNC offense as the Cougars managed just six total hits as they were shut out for the first time in the season. BOXSCORE

May 15, vs. Spring Arbor (MI) College
The Cougars suffered their first loss in the National Christian College Athletic Association National Tournament as the defending champs fell 7-1 to third-seeded Spring Arbor. Spring Arbor scored two runs in each of the first three innings to build a commanding 6-0 lead. MVNC got on the scoreboard in the top of the sixth inning on an RBI-single by Chris Stanifer, but that was as close as the Cougars would get. Jeremiah Armstrong (9-4) lost his third straight decision as he allowed 10 hits, two walks, and six earned runs in three innings of work. Scott Schlabach worked the final three innings and gave up three hits and one earned run while striking out three batters. Stanifer, Brian Sheets, and Matt Corona paced the offense with two hits apiece. BOXSCORE

May 14, vs. Lee (TN) University
MVNC, the top seed, downed fifth-seeded Lee 8-2 in the second round of the National Christian College Athletic Association National Tournament. Dave Byard (9-2) allowed just two hits and one earned run over seven innings to pick up the victory. He also recorded one strikeout as he came within three outs of a shutout. Offensively, J.K. Waers led the way with a 3-for-3 performance at the plate, while Chris Stanifer, Brian Sheets, Mike Waddell, and Jason Hall each added two hits apiece to the 12-hit attack for the Cougars. BOXSCORE

May 13, vs. Indiana Wesleyan University
The top-seeded Cougars held on for a 3-2 victory over Indiana Wesleyan in the first round of the National Christian College Athletic Association National Tournament. MVNC scored the first run of the game in the top of the fourth inning as Brian Sheets and Sean Barrett hit back-to-back doubles. The Cougars built the lead to 3-0 in the sixth on an RBI-double by Sheets and a run-scoring single by Chris Iceman. The Wildcats scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh, but the potential tying run was thrown out at the plate. Andy Heimbach (11-2) earned the victory as he allowed four hits, four walks, and one earned run over seven innings. He also fanned six batters. Sheets and Chris Stanifer led the offensive attack with two hits each. BOXSCORE

May 11, vs. Ohio Dominican College
After beating Ohio Dominican three times previously, MVNC fell 5-1 to the Panthers as the Cougars were eliminated from the NAIA Great Lakes Region Tournament. With the score tied 1-1, Ohio Dominican scored four runs in the top of the eighth inning for the victory. Jeremiah Armstrong (9-3) suffered his second straight defeat as he gave up six hits, two walks, and five earned runs with three strikeouts. Chris Stanifer paced the offensive attack with two hits and a stolen base. Brian Sheets' two-out RBI-single in the bottom of the seventh inning scored Stanifer with MVNC's lone run. BOXSCORE

May 9, vs. Madonna (MI) University
The Cougars stayed alive in the loser's bracket of the NAIA Great Lakes Region Tournament with an 8-2 win over Madonna. The Cougars rapped out 18 hits as once again every starter recorded at least one hit. Chris Stanifer led the way with a 4-for-5 performance, while Sean Barrett added three hits. Brian Sheets, J.K. Waers, Mike Waddell, and Matt Corona also pounded out two hits apiece. Meanwhile, Dave Byard (8-2) earned the victory as he allowed just five hits, four walks, and one earned run in nine innings of work. He also struck out three batters. BOXSCORE

May 9, vs. St. Xavier (IL) University
MVNC rebounded with a 5-0 victory over St. Xavier in the loser's bracket of the NAIA Great Lakes Region Tournament. Andy Heimbach (10-2) became the Cougars' career leader in shutouts with ten as he allowed just four hits and one walk while striking out five batters in his complete game performance. He also tied his own single-season school mark of five shutouts. Offensively, every MVNC starter recorded at least one hit led by Jason Hall with three hits and two runs batted in. Chris Stanifer and Sean Barrett also rapped out two hits apiece. BOXSCORE

May 8, vs. Indiana Institute of Technology
The Cougars got off to a rough start at the NAIA Great Lakes Region Tournament as MVNC fell 23-3 to Indiana Tech, who was ranked #24 in the final NAIA national poll. The loss also snapped the Cougars' 11-game winning streak. Jeremiah Armstrong (9-2) suffered the loss on the mound as the Warriors scored seven runs in the first inning to take control of the game. Armstrong allowed seven hits, four walks, and 10 earned runs in two innings of work. Scott Schlabach worked three innings and gave up six hits, one walk, and seven runs, while Matt Triplett allowed six earned runs in his one inning of work. J.K. Waers paced the offensive attack with two hits as MVNC managed just eight hits for the game. BOXSCORE

May 5, OHIO DOMINICAN COLLEGE
Top-seeded MVNC got good pitching and timely hitting as the Cougars downed second-seeded Ohio Dominican 5-2 in the championship game of the Mid-Ohio Conference Tournament. Andy Heimbach (9-2) earned the victory as he allowed six hits, three walks, and two earned runs over nine innings for his second complete game of the tournament. He fanned nine batters, including seven strikeouts in the final four innings. The Cougars manufactured single runs in the top of the first and third inning as Brian Sheets drove in both runs with a sacrifice fly and an RBI-ground out. Scott Crawford and Sean Barrett each had run-scoring singles in the fifth inning, and Jason Hall closed out the scoring with an RBI-double in the sixth inning. Matt Corona led MVNC with three hits, while Barrett, Hall, and Chris Stanifer each added two hits apiece. BOXSCORE

May 4, SHAWNEE STATE UNIVERSITY
The Cougars relied on the strong right arm of Jeremiah Armstrong and four homeruns as top-seeded MVNC advanced to the championship game of the Mid-Ohio Conference Tournament with a 10-0 win over third-seeded Shawnee State. Armstrong (9-1) went all nine innings for his second shutout of the season. He allowed just two hits and three walks while fanning 13 batters. Meanwhile, Sean Barrett, Mike Waddell, J.K. Waers, and Chris Stanifer each homered as part of the 16-hit attack. Waddell and Waers each finished with three hits, while Barrett, Chris Iceman, and Matt Corona recorded two hits apiece. BOXSCORE

May 4, TIFFIN UNIVERSITY
MVNC rallied for a 3-2 victory over fourth-seeded Tiffin in the Mid-Ohio Conference Tournament to extend its winning streak to nine games. The top-seeded Cougars tied the score on Scott Crawford's RBI-single in the bottom of the seventh inning, and then took the lead on Sean Barrett's lead-off solo homerun in the eighth inning. Dave Byard (7-2) earned the victory as he worked all nine innings and allowed seven hits, four walks, and two earned runs. He also recorded three strikeouts. Barrett and J.K. Waers paced the MVNC offense with two hits apiece. BOXSCORE

May 1, WALSH UNIVERSITY
The Cougars got off to a good start in the Mid-Ohio Conference Tournament as top-seeded MVNC downed sixth-seeded Walsh 8-0 in the first game of the double elimination event. Sophomore Andy Heimbach (8-2) notched his fourth shutout of the season and his school record-tying ninth of his young career. He worked all nine innings and allowed just four hits and two walks while striking out nine batters. Offensively, the Cougars were paced by Chris Stanifer and Brian Sheets, who each recorded a double and two singles. Scott Crawford, Chris Iceman, and J.K. Waers each added two hits apiece to the winning attack. BOXSCORE

April 28, at University of Findlay
MVNC finished the regular season with an 8-4 non-conference victory at Findlay to extend the Cougars' winning streak to seven consecutive games. MVNC broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the fourth inning with six runs highlighted by J.K. Waers' two-run homer. Mike Waddell (5-2) earned the victory by allowing just six hits, three walks, and two earned runs over eight innings. He also struck out seven batters. Matt Triplett tossed the final inning and gave up one hit, two walks, and one earned run with two strikeouts. Brian Sheets paced the offense with two doubles and three runs batted in. Chris Iceman, Jason Schrock, and Jeff Wine each added two hits. BOXSCORE

April 27, at Kenyon College
The Cougars won their sixth straight game with a 10-0 drubbing of cross-county rival Kenyon in a non-conference game. MVNC took advantage of four errors by the Lords and relied on good pitching by Jeremiah Armstrong. Armstrong (8-1) worked all seven innings and allowed just two hits and six walks while he struck out seven batters. Meanwhile, Brian Sheets, Sean Barrett, and Jason Hall each recorded two hits apiece to pace the offense. Chris Stanifer also added a single and three stolen bases. BOXSCORE

April 25, TIFFIN UNIVERSITY
After trailing 2-0, MVNC scored four times in the bottom of the second inning and never looked back as the Cougars knocked off Tiffin 10-3 in the second game of a Mid-Ohio Conference doubleheader. Dave Byard (6-2) was the complete-game winner as he gave up seven hits, two walks, and three earned runs over seven innings. He also fanned two batters. Meanwhile, Matt Corona paced the offensive attack by going 3-for-3 with two runs batted in. Brian Sheets and Mike Waddell each homered, while Sheets, Chris Stanifer, and J.K. Waers each finished with two hits apiece. BOXSCORE

April 25, TIFFIN UNIVERSITY
The Cougars rallied for a 4-3 Mid-Ohio Conference victory over Tiffin in the first game of a twinbill as MVNC clinched its fourth straight outright conference title. The Cougars trailed 3-0 going into the bottom of the sixth inning when they pushed across four unearned runs with two outs. Andy Heimbach (7-2) earned the victory as he worked seven innings and allowed seven hits, two walks, and three earned runs. He also fanned 10 batters. MVNC managed just four hits for the game as Scott Crawford, Chris Iceman, J.K. Waers, and Matt Corona each collected a single. BOXSCORE

April 24, OTTERBEIN COLLEGE
MVNC scored nine runs in the bottom of the first inning as the Cougars downed Otterbein 11-1 in a non-conference game that ended after seven innings due to the mercy rule. MVNC sent 13 batters to the plate in the first inning and recorded eight hits. The big blow was a three-run homer by J.K. Waers. Jeff Wine led the offense by going 4-for-4 with two runs batted in, while Scott Crawford added three singles. Brian Sheets also finished with a double and a single. On the mound, Mike Waddell (4-2) was outstanding as he allowed just one hit, six walks, and one earned run over seven innings. He also struck out 10 batters. BOXSCORE

April 23, at John Carroll University
The Cougars exploded for 21 hits on their way to a 19-1 drubbing of John Carroll in a nine-inning non-conference game. Brian Sheets paced the offense by going 4-for-6 with five runs batted in, while Chris Stanifer, Jeff Lavin, and Jason Schrock each added three hits. Scott Crawford and Chris Iceman also recorded two hits apiece. Jeremiah Armstrong (7-1) earned the victory as he allowed just five hits, three walks, and one earned run over seven innings with eight strikeouts. Andy Newcomb tossed the final two innings and gave up just one hit. BOXSCORE

April 18, SHAWNEE STATE UNIVERSITY
MVNC snapped its brief two-game losing skid by rallying for a 4-2 victory over Shawnee State in the second game of a Mid-Ohio Conference twinbill. With the Bears leading 2-0, Brian Sheets drilled a solo homer to leftfield in the bottom of the fourth inning to start the comeback. Then, in the bottom of the fifth, the Cougars scored three more times to regain the lead for good. Sheets again had the big blow with a two-run single. Andy Heimbach (6-2) picked up the victory by allowing just five hits, two walks, and two unearned runs over seven innings. He also struck out six batters. Offensively, Sheets and Mike Waddell each finished with two hits. BOXSCORE

April 18, SHAWNEE STATE UNIVERSITY
The Cougars dropped their second straight game as they fell 5-1 to Shawnee State in the first game of a Mid-Ohio Conference doubleheader. MVNC managed just four hits in the game and committed two errors. The Cougars avoided being shut out for the first time when Chris Stanifer drilled a two-out run-scoring double to left center in the bottom of the seventh inning. Dave Byard (5-2) suffered the loss as he allowed seven hits, three walks, and three earned runs over seven innings. He also fanned five batters. Stanifer, Scott Crawford, Brian Sheets, and Chris Iceman collected the four hits for MVNC. BOXSCORE

April 17, WALSH UNIVERSITY
MVNC jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, but Walsh rallied for a 7-6 win in the second game of a Mid-Ohio Conference twinbill. The Cavaliers scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning to erase a 6-4 Cougar lead. J.K. Waers (0-1) suffered the loss as he gave up three hits and two earned runs in the final inning. Mike Waddell started and went five innings as he allowed three hits, four walks, and three earned runs with seven strikeouts. Scott Schlabach also tossed one scoreless inning of relief. Offensively, MVNC was led by Waers with a double, a triple, and two runs batted in. Chris Stanifer and Scott Crawford also added two hits apiece. BOXSCORE

April 17, WALSH UNIVERSITY
The Cougars cruised to a 14-2 victory over Walsh in the first game of a Mid-Ohio Conference doubleheader. Scott Crawford powered the offensive attack by driving in six runs and scoring three times as he pounded out a homerun and a single in four at bats. Brian Sheets, Jason Hall, and Matt Corona each added two hits to the winning attack. Jeremiah Armstrong (6-1) earned the victory as he allowed just five hits, three walks, and two earned runs in five innings of work. He also fanned six batters. BOXSCORE

April 14, at University of Rio Grande
MVNC suffered its first conference loss of the season as the Cougars fell 3-1 to Rio Grande in the second game of a Mid-Ohio Conference doubleheader. Andy Heimbach (5-2) allowed just three hits, three walks, and two earned runs over six innings, but suffered the hard-luck loss. Heimbach also recorded five strikeouts. MVNC managed just five hits in the contest as Sean Barrett collected two of them. BOXSCORE

April 14, at University of Rio Grande
The Cougars extended their winning streak to 13 straight games with an 8-0 shut out of Rio Grande in the first game of a Mid-Ohio Conference twinbill. Chris Stanifer and Brian Sheets paced the MVNC offense with two hits each, while Sean Barrett connected for his seventh home run of the season. Dave Byard (5-1) tossed the complete game shutout as he allowed just three hits and a walk over seven innings. He also fanned six Redmen. BOXSCORE

April 13, at Ashland University
MVNC held on for a 13-10 non-conference victory over Ashland in a nine-inning game. The Cougars broke open a 3-3 game with a seven-run third inning, and then held off a late rally by the Eagles. Scott Schlabach (2-0) earned the victory with seven innings of work in which he allowed 10 hits, two walks, and five earned runs with five strikeouts. Matt Triplett tossed 1 2/3 innings of relief and gave up six hits, one walk, and five earned runs. J.K. Waers recorded the final out with the tying run at the plate to record his first save of the season. Sean Barrett, Chris Iceman, and Matt Corona led the offensive attack with two hits apiece, while Barrett, Corona, and Mike Waddell each homered. BOXSCORE

April 11, at Geneva (PA) College
The Cougars got a solid pitching performance from Mike Waddell and timely hitting to record a 6-2 win over Geneva in the second game of a non-conference doubleheader. Waddell (3-2) allowed just six hits, three walks, and two earned runs over seven innings. He also recorded seven strikeouts. MVNC scored twice in the top of the first inning, and then added single runs in both the second and fourth innings on a suicide squeeze and a sacrifice fly by Jeff Wine. The Cougars capped the scoring in the seventh inning on back-to-back solo homers by Chris Stanifer and Scott Crawford. Matt Corona led the offense with three hits. BOXSCORE

April 11, at Geneva (PA) College
MVNC used a 10-run fourth inning to post a 14-3 victory over Geneva in the first game of a non-conference twinbill. The Cougars sent 14 batters to the plate and recorded 10 hits in the decisive inning as they broke up a 3-2 game. Jeremiah Armstrong (5-1) earned the victory by allowing three hits, one walk, and three earned runs over six innings. Chris Stanifer paced the offensive attack with three singles, three runs scored, one run batted in, and two stolen bases. Scott Crawford, Brian Sheets, Chris Iceman, and Jason Schrock each added two hits apiece. BOXSCORE

April 10, at Ohio Wesleyan University
The Cougars jumped out to a 12-0 lead after three trips to the plate as MVNC pounded Ohio Wesleyan, ranked #2 in NCAA Division III, 18-5 in a non-conference game. The Cougars scored seven runs in the top of the first inning highlighted by a three-run homer by Jason Schrock. Sean Barrett, Chris Iceman, and Matt Corona also homered as MVNC pounded out 22 hits. Schrock and Mike Waddell led the way with four hits apiece, while Iceman, J.K. Waers, and Chris Stanifer each recorded three hits. Andy Heimbach (5-1) earned the victory as he tossed seven innings and allowed seven hits, one walk, and four earned run with three strikeouts. Dave Byard went the final two innings and gave up two hits, two walks, and one earned run. The Cougars also turned five double plays. BOXSCORE

April 7, at Urbana University
MVNC extended its winning streak to eight straight games with a 9-4 victory over Urbana in the second game of a Mid-Ohio Conference twinbill. Chris Iceman led the offensive attack with three hits and two runs batted in, while Chris Stanifer and Brian Sheets added two hits apiece. Mike Waddell (2-2) earned the win by allowing just four hits, two walks, and four earned runs over five innings. Waddell retired the first 10 batters that he faced, and he finished with five strikeouts. Scott Schlabach was masterful in relief as he allowed just two hits with two strikeouts over the final two innings. BOXSCORE

April 7, at Urbana University
The Cougars built an early lead and held on for a 6-5 victory in the first game of a Mid-Ohio Conference doubleheader at Urbana. MVNC jumped out to a 6-2 lead after four innings and watched as the Blue Knights closed to within a run with the tying run on second base in the bottom of the seventh inning. However, Dave Byard notched his first save of the season by striking out the only batter he faced to end the game. Jeremiah Armstrong (4-1) earned the victory by allowing seven hits, one walk, and five earned run in 6 2/3 innings of work. He also struck out eight batters. Mike Waddell, Chris Stanifer, and Jason Hall paced the offense with two hits apiece. BOXSCORE

April 4, MALONE COLLEGE
MVNC won its sixth straight game as the Cougars shut out Malone 2-0 in the second game of a Mid-Ohio Conference twinbill. Sophomore Andy Heimbach (4-1) allowed five hits and one walk as he posted his third shutout of the season and the eighth of his brief career. He also fanned five Pioneers. Heimbach is now just one shutout from tying the school career mark held by Mike Patch. Offensively, Chris Stanifer, Scott Crawford, Sean Barrett, Chris Iceman, and Jason Hall each banged out a single. BOXSCORE

April 4, MALONE COLLEGE
The Cougars claimed a 4-1 win over Malone in the first game of a Mid-Ohio Conference doubleheader. MVNC scored a run in the bottom of the first inning and two more in the second inning to take control of the game. Dave Byard (4-1) earned the victory on the mound as he worked all seven innings and allowed just four hits, one walk, and one earned run. He also struck out four batters. Scott Crawford paced the offense with two doubles, while Sean Barrett and Jason Hall each pounded out two singles apiece. BOXSCORE

April 2, CEDARVILLE COLLEGE
MVNC posted an 8-0 shutout of Cedarville in the second game to sweep the Mid-Ohio Conference twinbill. Mike Waddell (1-2) allowed just seven hits and three walks as he pitched seven strong innings to win his first game of the year. Waddell also fanned four Yellow Jackets. Offensively, Matt Corona led the way with three singles, while Sean Barrett and Chris Iceman each recorded two hits apiece. Barrett and Jeff Lavin each pounded homeruns. BOXSCORE

April 2, CEDARVILLE COLLEGE
The Cougars took advantage of three homeruns and good pitching to down Cedarville 6-1 in the first game of a Mid-Ohio Conference doubleheader. Sean Barrett, Chris Stanifer, and Scott Crawford each pounded two-run homers to supply the offense. Meanwhile, Jeremiah Armstrong (3-1) allowed just two hits, two walks, and one earned run while striking out nine Yellow Jackets in seven innings of work. Chris Iceman rapped out three singles, while Stanifer, Crawford, Brian Sheets, and Jason Hall each added two hits apiece. BOXSCORE

March 31, at Ohio Dominican College
MVNC made it a doubleheader sweep with a 5-0 win over Ohio Dominican in the second game of a Mid-Ohio Conference twinbill. Andy Heimbach (3-1) tossed a two-hitter with one walk over seven innings against the Panthers, ranked #24 in the NAIA. Heimbach struck out four and faced the minimum 21 batters as the Cougars turned two double plays and caught one runner trying to steal. Sean Barrett paced the offense with two singles and three runs batted in, while Brian Sheets singled once and walked twice. BOXSCORE

March 31, at Ohio Dominican College
The Cougars successfully began their Mid-Ohio Conference schedule with a 16-5 victory over Ohio Dominican, ranked #24 in the latest NAIA national poll. MVNC scored seven times in both the third and sixth innings to take control of the game. Sean Barrett and Mike Waddell each recorded three hits, while Chris Stanifer, Chris Iceman, and J.K. Waers pounded out two hits apiece. Dave Byard (3-1) earned the win by allowing just six hits, two walks, and two earned runs over six innings of work. He also fanned two batters. BOXSCORE

March 28, vs. University of St. Thomas (MN)
MVNC dropped its second straight game to St. Thomas as the Tommies prevailed 4-2 in the second game of a doubleheader at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic in Fort Myers, Florida. On the mound, Mike Waddell (0-2) suffered the loss as he allowed seven hits, four walks, and four earned runs while fanning five batters. Meanwhile, J.K. Waers singled twice and drove in one run to pace the Cougar offensive attack. Scott Crawford also added a single and a sacrifice fly. BOXSCORE

March 28, vs. University of St. Thomas (MN)
The Cougars had their four-game winning streak snapped as St. Thomas claimed a hard-fought 4-3 decision at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic in Fort Myers, Florida. The Tommies rallied for three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and one run in the sixth inning for the victory. Jeremiah Armstrong (2-1) suffered the loss as he allowed seven hits, three walks, and four earned runs in five innings of work. Scott Schlabach tossed one scoreless inning in relief and recorded one strikeout. Offensively, MVNC was led by Brian Sheets and Chris Iceman with two singles each. Mike Waddell also added a two-run triple in the top of the fourth inning. BOXSCORE

March 27, vs. Missouri Valley College
MVNC made it four wins in a row by recording its second straight shutout with a 7-0 victory over Missouri Valley at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic in Fort Myers, Florida. Andy Heimbach (2-1) allowed just two hits and one walk over seven innings to earn the win. Heimbach also struck out a season-high nine batters. Brian Sheets paced the Cougar attack with two doubles and a single, while Chris Iceman singled twice. Jason Schrock smashed a homerun, and Scott Crawford added a triple. BOXSCORE

March 27, vs. Missouri Valley College
The Cougars won their third straight game as they downed Missouri Valley 6-0 at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic in Fort Myers, Florida. Dave Byard (2-1) tossed a three-hit shutout as he struck out six batters over seven innings for the victory. Scott Crawford, Chris Stanifer, Chris Iceman, and Jeff Lavin each singled twice to pace the offense with Crawford driving in two runs. Sean Barrett also added a sacrifice fly. BOXSCORE

March 26, vs. Eastern Nazarene (MA) College
MVNC made it a clean sweep of Eastern Nazarene as the Cougars posted a 7-2 victory in the second game of a twinbill at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic in Fort Myers, Florida. Mike Waddell led the MVNC offensive attack with three hits, while Scott Crawford added a triple and a double. Jeff Lavin also recorded a double and a single. On the mound, Matt Triplett (1-0) notched the win in his first collegiate start. Triplett gave up nine hits, three walks, and two earned runs in seven innings of work. He also recorded three strikeouts. BOXSCORE

March 26, vs. Eastern Nazarene (MA) College
The Cougars got back to their winning ways with an 8-0 shutout of sister school, Eastern Nazarene, in the first game of a doubleheader at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic in Fort Myers, Florida. Scott Schlabach (1-0) picked up the victory in his first collegiate start as he allowed just five hits and one walk in seven innings of work. He also recorded four strikeouts. Meanwhile, Tim Wengerd led the MVNC offense with a pair of doubles. J.K. Waers added a double and a single, and Mike Waddell and Matt Corona each singled twice. BOXSCORE

March 24, vs. Edinboro (PA) University
MVNC had their winning streak snapped as Edinboro prevailed 6-3 in the second game of a twinbill at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic in Fort Myers, Florida. Mike Waddell (0-1) suffered the loss in his first start of the season. Waddell gave up six earned runs in five innings of work and allowed five hits and six walks. Scott Schlabach and J.K. Waers each pitched a scoreless inning in relief. At the plate, Chris Stanifer led the team with three hits, while Scott Crawford and Chris Iceman each singled twice. BOXSCORE

March 24, vs. Edinboro (PA) University
The Cougars extended their winning streak to four straight with a come-from-behind 11-7 win over Edinboro at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic in Fort Myers, Florida. After trailing by six runs going into the top of the seventh inning, MVNC scored 11 times in their final at bat to pull out the victory. Chris Stanifer led the Cougars with three singles, while Brian Sheets, Sean Barrett, Chris Iceman, and J.K. Waers each added two singles apiece. Stanifer and Sheets each had two hits in the decisive seventh inning comeback. Jeremiah Armstrong (2-0) pitched all seven innings for the win as he allowed four earned runs and recorded 12 strikeouts. BOXSCORE

March 23, vs. University of Sioux Falls (SD)
MVNC knocked off Sioux Falls 10-3 in the second game of a doubleheader at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic in Fort Myers, Florida. Brian Sheets, J.K. Waers, and Mike Waddell each homered to power the Cougar offense. Scott Crawford added two singles and two runs batted in, while Chris Stanifer rapped out one single and stole three bases. Dave Byard (1-1) pitched seven strong innings, giving up just one earned run on seven hits. He also recorded three walks and four strikeouts. BOXSCORE

March 23, vs. University of Sioux Falls (SD)
The Cougars won its second straight game with a 16-1 drubbing of Sioux Falls at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic in Fort Myers, Florida. Sean Barrett led the offense with a homerun and two doubles, while Scott Crawford homered and doubled. Chris Iceman added a homerun and a single, and Mike Waddell collected two doubles. Jeff Wine also scored four runs. Andy Heimbach (1-1) took advantage of the scoring outburst to post the win. He allowed just three hits, four walks, and one earned run while striking out seven batters. BOXSCORE

March 21, vs. Missouri Baptist College
MVNC picked up its first win of the 1998 season with an 11-7 victory over Missouri Baptist at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic in Fort Myers, Florida. The Cougars brought out the heavy lumber as they pounded four homeruns in the contest - two by J.K. Waers and one each by Sean Barrett and Chris Iceman. Jeremiah Armstrong (1-0) earned the victory with a complete game performance. He allowed four earned runs, eight hits, and one walk while striking out 10 batters. Iceman finished the game by going 3-for-4 with three runs batted in, and Waers was 2-for-3 with three runs batted in. BOXSCORE

March 19, vs. University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
The Cougars suffered a hard-fought 7-6 setback to Wisconsin-Stevens Point in the second game of a twinbill at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic in Fort Myers, Florida. MVNC rallied to within one run in the bottom of the seventh inning when the game was called due to heavy rain with the tying run on second base and two outs. Brian Sheets pounded out three singles, while Scott Crawford, Chris Iceman, and Jason Schrock each added two hits. Dave Byard (0-1) suffered the loss by giving up six hits, five walks, and five earned runs in six innings of work. J.K. Waers pitched one scoreless inning of relief in which he recorded one strikeout. BOXSCORE

March 19, vs. University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
MVNC opened the 1998 season by dropping a 9-6 decision to Wisconsin-Stevens Point, the fourth-ranked team in NCAA Division III, at the Gene Cusic Collegiate Classic in Fort Myers, Florida. The Cougars led 5-1 going into the bottom of the fourth inning when the Pointers sent 12 men to the plate and scored seven times. Andy Heimbach (0-1) suffered the loss as he allowed 10 hits, eight earned runs, and five walks in 4 2/3 innings of work. Matt Triplett pitched the final 1 2/3 innings and allowed just one walk and one hit. Scott Crawford paced the offense with two doubles and a single, while Jeff Lavin, Chris Stanifer, and Brian Sheets each added two singles apiece. BOXSCORE