McKee's Pinch-Hit Home Run Leads Lady Raiders to Sweep of Millersville

April 4, 2005

Game 1 Boxscore | Game 2 Boxscore

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - Senior Mary McKee (Bellefonte, Pa./Bellefonte) hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to lift the Shippensburg Lady Raiders to a 5-4 win in game two of a doubleheader against Millersville. Shippensburg also won the first game, 5-0.

Down 4-2 in the bottom of the sixth in game two, senior Jaime Dacey (Langhorne, Pa./Archbishop Wood) hit a one out single through the left side to reach base, and senior Sarah Costa (Laurel, Md./Atholton) put two on when she walked. McKee, entering the game as a pinch hitter, hit the game winning home run over the centerfield fence to put the Lady Raiders up 5-4.

Relief pitcher junior Kelley Tiesi (Baltimore, Md./Catholic School of Baltimore) ended the game in the seventh, fielding a dribbler for a double play. Tiesi earned the win in both the first and second games to raise her record to 14-1 for the season. She had her eighth shutout of the season in the first game, striking out 13.

Millersville got on the board quickly in game two, scoring three runs in the top of the second. Jess Vonada drew a bases loaded walk to score the Mauraders first run of the game. Two more runs crossed the plate on a throwing error by sophomore Heather Chantiles (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) to give Millersville a 3-0 lead.

The Lady Raiders came back in the bottom of the inning, scoring Dacey and Costa on an Ali Morris (Warrington, Pa./Central Bucks East) single to right field, cutting Millersville’s lead to 3-2.
Millersville added another run in the fourth when Alexa Ashwell singled to score Vonada.
Dacey went 2-for-3 in the second game, while McKee was 1-for-1 with three RBIs.

In the first game, Shippensburg scored all five runs in the third inning, rallying with two outs to put together a string of six straight hits. McKee started the rally with a single up the middle, and scored when senior Liz Corr (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks West) tripled to right center. Seniors Beth Rudai (Glen Mills, Pa./University High, Ill.) and Anna Corr (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks West) each had an RBI single before Dacey capped the scoring with a home run to right center field. Costa also had a hit in the inning.

Going 3-for-4 with two triples, one RBI and one run scored in the first game, Liz Corr tied the Shippensburg career record for hits, with 249. She is second on the team with 40 hits this year, and has led Shippensburg in total number of hits each of the past three seasons. The record was set from 1997-2000 by Heather Bankert.

Shippensburg takes on Shepherd University in a non-conference doubleheader tomorrow afternoon Tuesday, April 5 at the Robb Sports Complex. Game time is at 2:30 p.m.

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