Tiesi Earns Victory and Save in Doubleheader Sweep of East Stroudsburg
Apr. 11, 2006
SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - Senior Kelley Tiesi (Baltimore, Md./Catholic School of Baltimore) picked up a win and a save while striking out 20 as the No. 14-ranked Shippensburg softball team swept a doubleheader at Robb Field on Tuesday against East Stroudsburg, 1-0 and 2-0.
The Lady Raiders's wins move the team into second-place in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Eastern Division standings, two games behind Bloomsburg and two ahead of third-place Millersville.
Shippensburg (25-11, 6-2 PSAC East) extended its winning streak to five while the team has won 20 of its last 24 games. The Lady Raiders have also posted a 5-1 mark at home.
Tiesi totaled a season-high 15 strikeouts for the third time this year in picking up her 15th victory in game one while striking out five more in earning the team's first save of the season in game two. She now has 942 career strikeouts, leaving her 58 shy of becoming the seventh player in Division II history to reach 1,000. Tiesi also won her 89th career decision in game one, moving her into 23rd-place on the all-time Division II list.
The lone run in game one came in the bottom of the first after Shippensburg had runners on first and second against Christine Wontroba. Freshman Rachelle Wedell (Baltimore, Md./Northeast) drew a walk before freshman Kelly Nelson (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent) reached on a fielder's choice.
With two outs, freshman Krystal Shannon (Portland, Maine/South Portland) singled up the middle to score Wedell, but was thrown out at first after getting caught up between first and second to end the inning.
Meanwhile, Tiesi was dominant, striking out six consecutive batters out of the first eight she faced until Jennifer Veronesi singled to shortstop in the top of the third with two out. Tiesi did not allow a runner past second base until the fourth when Ashley Miller reached third on a single by Eliza Morosco. However, the threat was ended after Tiesi got Candace Pastor to pop out and Lindsey Kost to strike out swinging.
East Stroudsburg (19-16, 5-5 PSAC East) threatened in the seventh after a leadoff walk by Pastor and a single to left by Kost, but Tiesi managed to stop the threat with three-straight strikeouts to end the game.
Shannon and junior Heather Chantiles (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) each had two hits to lead Shippensburg offensively while Tiesi scattered five hits and walked one in pitching her 18th complete game of the season. Tiesi has finished every game she has started this season.
The story in game two for the Lady Raiders was the same as it has been all season, an inability to manufacture runs when runners are in scoring position. Shippensburg left 11 runners on base in the game and totaled at least 10 hits for just the 13th time in 36 games this year. The team also scored four runs or less for the 25th time.
Of Shippensburg's two runs, one came on a wild pitch and the second was on a sharply hit ball by Chantiles that bounced of Kost at first base, scoring sophomore Jill Kirby (Glen Mills, Pa./Garnet Valley) who entered the game as a pinch runner for junior Katie Heatley (York, Pa./Dallastown) who reached on a single to shortstop.
Sophomore Danielle Shields (Laurel, Del./Sussex Tech), the current PSAC Eastern Division Pitcher of the Week, was strong through five innings, striking out five and allowing just two hits.
In the sixth, Miller led off the inning for East Stroudsburg with a walk before Shannon Dietrich singled to left, prompting Shippensburg head coach Bob Brookens to bring in Tiesi.
Tiesi got Morosco to strike out looking, but Pastor reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases after a Lady Raider throwing error. However, much like she did in game one, Tiesi ended the Warrior threat with back-to-back swinging strikeouts.
Chantiles and Marll each went 3-for-4 in game two while Heatley was 2-for-3. On the day,
Chantiles was 5-for-8
and raised
her season average to .477
with a team-high 62 hits.
Shippensburg returns to action on Wednesday at home
against Mansfield in a doubleheader at 2:30 p.m.
- Lady Raider Softball -
