Shippensburg Shuts Out West Chester, 8-0 and 16-0, Costa Sets Record
March 26, 2005
WEST CHESTER, Pa.---Shippensburg University senior catcher Sarah Costa (Laurel, Md./Atholton) broke the Shippensburg career record for runs batted in as the softball team shut out the West Chester Golden Rams in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division doubleheader on Saturday afternoon, winning the first game 8-0, and the second 16-0.
Costa totaled nine RBI in the doubleheader, with two in the first game and seven in the second, bringing her career total to 131 RBI. The old record of 129 career RBI was set by Katie Rowlands from 1997-2000. In addition to Costa, senior Jaime Dacey (Langhorne, Pa./Archbishop Wood) had three RBI to bring her career total to 129, tying the old record.
The first game was highlighted by a four run third inning. Holding a 1-0 lead after senior Beth Rudai (Glen Mills, Pa./University High, Ill.) scored an unearned run in the first inning, she led off the third with a single. After senior Anna Corr (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks West) reached base on an error, Dacey doubled to send Rudai across the plate. Costa hit a single that drove in Anna Corr and Dacey. She would score when senior Amanda Collins (Pasadena, Md./Archbishop Spalding) grounded out, giving the Lady Raiders a 5-0 lead.
Shippensburg (19-1, 4-0 PSAC East) scored two runs in the fifth and one in the sixth to give the Lady Raiders a solid 8-0 lead. Senior Jess Miller (Easton, Pa./Easton) and sophomore Heather Chantiles (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) each had RBI hits in the fifth inning, and a sacrifice fly from Dacey scored senior Liz Corr (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks West) in the sixth.
Rudai led Shippensburg at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Dacey went 2-for-3, driving in two RBI and scoring twice.
Junior Caitlin MacPherson (Hemlock, N.Y./Monroe C.C.), pitching in relief, retired the final three batters for West Chester (10-9, 0-4 PSAC East) to end the game after six innings. MacPherson pitched two innings, allowing no hits. Freshman Danielle Shields (Laurel, Del./Sussex Tech) went the first four innings, striking out five. She remains undefeated in her collegiate career with an 8-0 record.
Costa led Shippensburg in the second
game, hitting two home runs and driving in almost half the runs
scored in the game, with seven
RBI.
She went 3-for-3
and scored three runs. Senior Fawn Gaidos (Lebanon, Pa./Cedar
Crest) also hit a home run en route to a 4-for-4 performance. She had
four RBI and
scored twice.
Leading 5-0 after three innings, Shippensburg scored six runs
in the fourth inning and five runs in the fifth inning for the
victory.
Costa hit a
three-run homerun in each of the final innings, while Gaidos had
a two-run homerun in the fifth inning. Anna Corr,
junior Kristen
Marll (Severn, Md./Archbishop Spalding) and freshman Sarah
Stengl (Duncansville, Pa./Holidaysburg) each had
an RBI hit in the fourth inning.
Junior Kelley Tiesi (Baltimore, Md./Catholic School of Baltimore) gave up one hit and struck out three in four innings of work, and gets the win to go to 9-1 for the year. Freshman Jill Kirby (Glen Mills, Pa./Garnet Valley) saw her first action of the year, pitching the final inning of the game.
The Lady Raiders, currently ranked No. 6 in the National Fast Pitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Division II poll, return to action on Wednesday, March 30 to take on Mansfield University in a conference doubleheader. Mansfield is currently 13-1 and although not ranked in the top 25, is receiving votes in the NFCA poll. Gametime is at 2:00 p.m. at Mansfield.
- Lady Raider Softball -
