April 24, vs. Union (TN) University
The seventh-seeded Lady Cougars lost 7-3 to fourth-seeded Union, ranked #15 in the NAIA, in the loser's bracket championship game at the National Christian College Athletic Association national tournament. Natalie Wallace (7-8) suffered the loss as she gave up seven hits, one walk, and four earned runs over four innings. Tara Hines tossed the final two innings and gave up three hits, one walk, and three unearned runs. Jodi Brewster paced the offense with a single and a two-run triple. Wallace and Shelly Aldrich each added two hits apiece. For their efforts in the tournament, Aldrich, Brewster, and Hines were named to the all-tournament team.
April 24, vs. Spring Arbor (MI) College
Seventh-seeded MVNC continued its run through the loser's bracket with an exciting 2-1 win over fifth-seeded Spring Arbor in nine innings at the National Christian College Athletic Association national tournament. Tara Hines (13-7) worked all nine innings for the win and allowed just five hits and one earned run. She also struck out four batters and drove in Shelly Aldrich with the winning run in the top of the ninth inning. Aldrich, Dawn Paulo, and Natalie Wallace each recorded two hits in the game, while Jodi Brewster drove in the Lady Cougars' other run with an RBI-single in the sixth inning.
April 23, vs. Oakland City (IN) University
The seventh-seeded Lady Cougars rallied for a 5-3 victory in the loser's bracket to eliminate top-seeded Oakland City from the National Christian College Athletic Association national tournament. Natalie Wallace pounded out three singles, and Shelly Aldrich and Corri Tillett each collected two hits apiece. On the mound, Wallace worked the first two innings and allowed six hits and three earned runs. Tara Hines (12-7) pitched the final five innings and gave up just three hits to pick up the victory.
April 23, vs. Bethel (IN) College
MVNC, the seventh seed, eliminated sixth-seeded Bethel from the National Christian College Athletic Association national tournament with a 1-0 win in the loser's bracket. Natalie Wallace (7-7) was sensational on the mound as she surrendered just three hits and one walk over seven innings. Wallace also went 2-for-3 at the plate and stole a base. The Lady Cougars scored the game's only run when Shelly Aldrich drove in Jody Eichelberger with an RBI-double in the top of the first inning. Eichelberger and Dawn Paulo collected the other two MVNC hits.
April 23, vs. Olivet Nazarene (IL) University
The seventh-seeded Lady Cougars dropped a hard-fought 3-2 decision to second-seeded Olivet Nazarene, ranked #10 in the NAIA, in the first round of the National Christian College Athletic Association national tournament. The two-time defending champion Lady Tigers broke a 2-2 tie when they scored on a two-out sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth inning. Tara Hines (11-7) suffered the loss for MVNC as she allowed eight hits and three earned runs with one strikeout. The Lady Cougars had six different players record one hit with Lori Sours' double being the only extra base hit.
April 21, at Urbana University
MVNC won the second-longest game in Lady Cougar fastpitch softball history with a 3-1 victory in 11 innings in the second game of a Mid-Ohio Conference twinbill. MVNC scored three unearned runs in the top of the 11th inning as Tara Hines ripped a two-run double to left and Natalie Wallace drove in the other run. Hines (11-6) earned the victory as she went all 11 innings and gave up just one unearned run on nine hits and one walk. Jody Eichelberger led the offensive attack with two singles.
April 21, at Urbana University
The Lady Cougars were held to just three hits as Urbana posted a 4-1 Mid-Ohio Conference victory in the first game of a doubleheader. MVNC recorded all three hits in the first inning as they pushed across their only run. Lori Sours had an RBI-double, and Jody Eichelberger and Natalie Wallace each added a single apiece. Wallace (6-7) suffered the loss for the Lady Cougars as she allowed seven hits, two walks, and three earned runs over six innings. She also struck out one batter.
April 15, at Kenyon College
Freshman Natalie Wallace (6-6) made it back-to-back no-hitters for MVNC as the Lady Cougars posted a 15-0 non-conference victory in the second game of a twinbill. Wallace walked one batter and allowed another batter to reach on an error. Offensively, MVNC rapped out 12 hits with Shelly Aldrich leading the way with three singles. Jody Eichelberger, Dawn Paulo, and Erin Conley each added two hits to the winning attack.
April 15, at Kenyon College
Freshman Tara Hines (10-6) tossed a five-inning no-hitter and the Lady Cougars' offense pounded out 13 hits as MVNC drubbed Kenyon 16-0 in the first game of a non-conference doubleheader. Hines faced only 16 batters as one Kenyon runner reached on an error. She also fanned a season-high six batters as she recorded her third shutout of the season. Offensively, Hines led the team with three hits, three runs scored, and three runs batted in. Jody Eichelberger, Natalie Wallace, and Lori Sours each added two hits apiece.
April 14, TIFFIN UNIVERSITY
MVNC pushed across a run in the bottom of the sixth inning to claim a 2-1 victory over Tiffin in the second game of a Mid-Ohio Conference twinbill. Natalie Wallace scored the winning run on a fielder's choice by Dawn Paulo with one out in the sixth. Wallace (5-6) also earned the win by going all seven innings on the mound. She allowed just five hits and one earned run in the complete game performance. Jody Eichelberger, Tara Hines, and Mandi Halley each pounded out two singles to lead the Lady Cougars' offense.
April 14, TIFFIN UNIVERSITY
The Lady Cougars dropped a hard-fought 5-4 decision to Tiffin in the first game of a Mid-Ohio Conference doubleheader. MVNC pulled to within one run in the bottom of the seventh inning, but left the potential tying and winning runs on base. Tara Hines (9-6) suffered the loss as she allowed 12 hits and five earned runs in seven innings of work. She also fanned two Lady Dragons. Jody Eichelberger doubled twice and singled once, and Natalie Wallace recorded a double and two singles to lead the offense.
April 13, at Ohio Dominican College
MVNC watched as Ohio Dominican scored seven runs in their final two at bats to record an 8-3 victory in the second game of a Mid-Ohio Conference twinbill. Tara Hines (9-5) suffered the loss as she allowed 12 hits and seven earned runs in her second complete game of the day. Shelly Aldrich paced the Lady Cougars' offense with a double, a single, and two runs batted in, while Hines, Dawn Paulo, Lori Sours, Natalie Wallace, and Jodi Brewster each added a single each.
April 13, at Ohio Dominican College
The Lady Cougars got a strong pitching performance from Tara Hines and took advantage of miscues by Ohio Dominican to post a 5-2 win in the first game of a Mid-Ohio Conference doubleheader. Hines (9-4) retired the first 14 batters she faced before giving up three singles and a walk with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Meanwhile, MVNC's offense had put three unearned runs on the board. The Lady Cougars added two more runs in the sixth inning, and the Lady Panthers pushed across a run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Hines allowed just five hits, one walk, and one earned run over seven innings with one strikeout. Natalie Wallace led MVNC with two doubles in three at bats.
April 11, SHAWNEE STATE UNIVERSITY
Shawnee State, ranked #24 in the NAIA, exploded for seven runs in the first inning on the way to a 13-1 victory in the second game of a Mid-Ohio Conference doubleheader. Natalie Wallace (4-6) suffered the loss for MVNC as she allowed six hits, two walks, and seven earned runs in just one inning of work. Mandi Halley pitched the final six innings and gave up 12 hits, one walk, and six earned runs. Halley drove in the only Lady Cougar run with an RBI-double in the fourth inning. Wallace, Jody Eichelberger, Dawn Paulo, and Lori Sours each recorded one single apiece.
April 11, SHAWNEE STATE UNIVERSITY
The Lady Cougars were shut out 5-0 by Shawnee State in the first game of a Mid-Ohio Conference twinbill. The Lady Bears, ranked #24 in the NAIA, led just 1-0 going into the fourth inning when they scored twice. They also added two more insurance runs in the top of the sixth inning. Tara Hines (8-4) allowed nine hits, and five earned runs while striking out one batter. Shelly Aldrich recorded half of MVNC's four hits as she pounded out a double and a single. Hines and Natalie Wallace each added one single apiece.
April 8, OTTERBEIN COLLEGE
MVNC bounced back to defeat Otterbein 3-1 in the second game of a non-conference doubleheader. Tara Hines (8-3) earned the victory by allowing just four hits, two walks, and one earned run over seven innings. She also fanned four Lady Cardinals. Christi Bowden, making only her second start of the season after recovering from a knee injury, went 2-for-2 with a double, a single, a walk, and two runs scored. Jody Eichelberger added a two-run single, and Mandi Halley recorded an infield hit as the Lady Cougars made the most of their four hits.
April 8, OTTERBEIN COLLEGE
After rallying to tie the score, the Lady Cougars dropped a 7-5 decision to Otterbein in the first game of a non-conference doubleheader. Natalie Wallace (4-5) suffered the loss as she allowed nine hits and one walk while fanning five batters. Only one of the seven runs was earned due to three MVNC errors. After trailing 5-1, the Lady Cougars scored three runs in the bottom of the third inning and one more run in the fifth inning to knot the score. However, the Lady Cardinals scored a run in both the sixth and seventh inning for the win. Shelly Aldrich tied a school record by smacking two triples, while Wallace and Jody Eichelberger each rapped out two hits apiece to lead MVNC.
April 7, MALONE COLLEGE
MVNC held on for a 2-1 victory to sweep a Mid-Ohio Conference doubleheader from Malone. Tara Hines (7-3) gave up just four hits, one walk, and one earned run over seven innings of work. She also fanned three Lady Pioneers. Angie Svagerko lined an RBI-triple to right center in the bottom of the fifth inning to score Amy Leach and give the Lady Cougars a 1-0 lead. Dawn Paulo, who had the only other two hits for MVNC in the game, scored on a wild pitch in the sixth inning to increase the lead to 2-0. Malone broke up Hines' shutout bid with a run in the top of the seventh inning.
April 7, MALONE COLLEGE
The Lady Cougars snapped their three-game losing skid as MVNC shut out Malone 2-0 in the first game of a Mid-Ohio Conference doubleheader. Freshman Natalie Wallace (4-4) tossed her first collegiate shutout as she allowed seven hits and five walks with one strikeout. The Lady Pioneers stranded 10 runners in the game. Meanwhile, the Lady Cougars got all the offense they needed in the bottom of the fifth inning on RBI-singles by Jody Eichelberger and Shelly Aldrich. Aldrich finished with two singles, and her defense at shortstop helped to short circuit several Malone scoring opportunities.
April 6, at University of Rio Grande
MVNC fell behind early as Rio Grande posted a 5-2 victory in the second game of a Mid-Ohio Conference twinbill. The Redwomen scored twice in the first and third innings to take a commanding 4-0 lead and hold on for the win. The Lady Cougars managed just three hits in the game. Tara Hines ripped a two-run double, Dawn Paulo added a double of her own, and Jody Eichelberger recorded a single. Hines (6-3) suffered the loss as she allowed ten hits, one walk, and five earned runs. She also struck out two batters.
April 6, at University of Rio Grande
The Lady Cougars came out on the short end of a 2-1 pitchers' duel as MVNC dropped the first game of a Mid-Ohio Conference doubleheader to Rio Grande. After trailing 1-0, Angie Svagerko tripled and scored on Dawn Paulo's single to tie the score at 1-1 in the top of the fifth inning. However, the Redwomen pushed across a run in the sixth inning for the win. Natalie Wallace (3-4) was the hard-luck loser as she allowed just five hits, one walk, and one earned run while striking out five batters. Wallace, Paulo, Svagerko, Shelly Aldrich, Erin Conley, and Mandi Halley each recorded one hit.
April 2, CEDARVILLE COLLEGE
MVNC dropped a hard-fought 7-5 decision in nine innings to Cedarville in the second game of a Mid-Ohio Conference doubleheader. After trailing 5-2 going into the bottom of the third inning, the Lady Cougars scored once in the third and twice in the fifth to knot the score. Mandi Halley started for MVNC and worked four innings allowing seven hits, two walks, and four earned runs. Tara Hines (6-2) worked the final five innings and retired 11 of the first 12 batters she faced. Then, in the ninth inning, she allowed a walk and three hits as Cedarville scored two runs to win the game. Lori Sours paced the offense with three hits, while Shelly Aldrich and Erin Conley each added two hits.
April 2, CEDARVILLE COLLEGE
The Lady Cougars picked up their first Mid-Ohio Conference win of the season as MVNC downed Cedarville 5-2 in the first game of a twinbill. The Lady Cougars scored three times in the bottom of the first inning and twice in the second inning to take a commanding lead. Tara Hines (6-1) earned the victory as she allowed just five hits, three walks, and one earned run over seven innings. Jodi Brewster went 2-for-3, while Lori Hines and Lori Sours each singled once and drove in two runs apiece.
March 31, WALSH UNIVERSITY
MVNC dropped a 3-1 decision to Walsh in the second game of a Mid-Ohio Conference twinbill. The Lady Cougars took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, but the Lady Cavaliers scored twice in the fourth inning and added an unearned run in the sixth inning for the victory. Tara Hines (5-1) suffered her first loss of the season as she allowed seven hits and two earned runs in seven innings. She also fanned two batters. Shelly Aldrich doubled and Dawn Paulo and Lori Sours each added a single apiece as MVNC collected just three hits.
March 31, WALSH UNIVERSITY
The Lady Cougars suffered a 5-1 loss to Walsh in both their home and Mid-Ohio Conference opener. Natalie Wallace (3-3) took the loss as two MVNC errors helped lead to three unearned runs. Wallace gave up six hits, two walks, and two earned runs in seven innings of work. She also recorded three strikeouts. The Lady Cougars managed just one hit for the game - a two-out RBI-single in the sixth inning by Shelly Aldrich.
March 27, vs. Mount Mercy (IA) College
MVNC dropped a hard-fought 4-2 decision to Mount Mercy as the Lady Mustangs scored four times in the final two innings at the Orlando (FL) Rebel Games. The Lady Cougars managed just three hits for the game - doubles by Tara Hines and Erin Conley and a single by Shelly Aldrich. Mandi Halley (0-1) suffered the loss in her first start of the season. She allowed seven hits, three earned runs, one walk, and recorded one strikeout in her complete game performance. Despite the loss, MVNC finished its spring trip with the best mark in school history at 8-3.
March 27, vs. Taylor (IN) University
The Lady Cougars rallied from an early three-run deficit and held on for a 7-6 victory over Taylor at the Orlando (FL) Rebel Games. MVNC scored six times in the bottom of the fourth inning to erase a 3-0 lead by the Lady Trojans. Angie Svagerko and Dawn Paulo both drove in two runs during the big inning. Svagerko and Lori Sours each finished with two hits to pace the offense, while Tara Hines (5-0) continued to pitch well. Hines allowed eight hits and just three earned runs in her complete game performance. She also recorded one walk and one strikeout.
March 26, vs. Elmhurst (IL) College
MVNC had its seven-game winning streak snapped as the Lady Cougars fell 8-3 to Elmhurst at the Orlando (FL) Rebel Games. Natalie Wallace (3-2) suffered the loss as she pitched just three innings and allowed nine hits and four earned runs. Mandi Halley pitched the final three innings and gave up five hits, two earned runs, and two walks. Jodi Brewster and Shelly Aldrich pounded out two singles apiece for the Lady Cougars.
March 26, vs. Felician (NJ) College
The Lady Cougars won their seventh straight game with a 5-3 victory over Felician at the Orlando (FL) Rebel Games. Tara Hines (4-0) notched the win by allowing just seven hits, three earned runs, and three walks in her complete game performance that included three strikeouts. Jody Eichelberger paced the offensive attack with two singles and two stolen bases, while Hines helped her own cause with a two-run double in the top of the second inning.
March 25, vs. University of Sioux Falls (SD)
MVNC rallied from a four-run deficit in the final two innings to defeat Sioux Falls 7-6 at the Orlando (FL) Rebel Games. Angie Svagerko and Jody Eichelberger recorded RBI singles in the fourth inning, and Dawn Paulo smashed a two-run pinch hit double in the fifth inning to tie the score. Eichelberger followed Paulo's hit with an RBI single for what proved to be the winning run. Tara Hines (3-0) earned the victory with six innings of work that included 10 hits, three earned runs, one walk, and two strikeouts.
March 25, vs. Mount Mercy (IA) College
The Lady Cougars won their fifth straight contest and handed head coach Jeana Howald her 200th career victory with a 9-6 win over Mount Mercy at the Orlando (FL) Rebel Games. Shelly Aldrich got the scoring under way in the top of the first inning with a three-run homer off the leftfield scoreboard. She finished the game with five runs batted in as she added a two-run double in the six-run third inning. Tara Hines also added two singles for MVNC. On the mound, Natalie Wallace (3-1) picked up the win by allowing just one earned run in her complete game performance. She gave up eight hits and three walks, and recorded two strikeouts.
March 23, vs. Taylor (IN) University
MVNC combined solid pitching and good hitting to post a 12-0 victory over Taylor at the Orlando (FL) Rebel Games. Tara Hines (2-0) threw her second straight shutout as she limited the Lady Trojans to three hits and three walks while striking out three batters. She also helped her own cause by going 2-for-2 with a double, two runs scored, and two runs batted in. Lori Sours got the scoring going in the first inning with a two-run homerun to left. Dawn Paulo added three singles, while Natalie Wallace also recorded two singles as part of the 11-hit attack.
March 23, vs. Felician (NJ) College
The Lady Cougars received another outstanding pitching performance and took advantage of five errors by the Golden Falcons to down Felician 4-1 at the Orlando (FL) Rebel Games. Natalie Wallace (2-1) allowed just two hits, a walk, and one unearned run as she earned the win in another complete game performance. She also helped herself at the plate with two singles in three at bats. The Lady Cougars scored four unearned runs in the first inning and held on for the win.
March 21, vs. Northwood (FL) Institute
MVNC won its second straight game by rallying for a 3-1 victory over Northwood at the Orlando (FL) Rebel Games. Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Lady Cougars plated three runs with two of them coming on a two-run double to right by Lori Sours. Sours finished the game by going 3-for-3 with three doubles. On the mound, Natalie Wallace (1-1) earned the win with a complete game three-hitter. She struck out four batters and walked just one, while allowing one unearned run.
March 21, vs. Calvin (MI) College
Behind outstanding pitching, the Lady Cougars downed Calvin 2-0 at the Orlando (FL) Rebel Games. Freshman Tara Hines (1-0) made her collegiate debut a memorable one as she fired a five-hit shutout with two strikeouts. Offensively, MVNC managed just one hit - an RBI single by Lori Sours in the fifth inning. The Lady Cougars scored their other run when Mandi Halley dashed home from third base on a wild pitch in the fourth inning.
March 21, vs. Baldwin-Wallace College
MVNC opened its 1998 season at the Orlando (FL) Rebel Games with a hard-fought 3-2 loss to Baldwin-Wallace as the Yellow Jackets scored two unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth inning for the victory. Erin Conley drove in both runs for the Lady Cougars with a two-run double in the first inning. Shelly Aldrich also added two singles in three at bats. Freshman Natalie Wallace (0-1) suffered the loss in her collegiate debut as she allowed just one earned run, two walks, and three hits in a complete game performance that included one strikeout.