Henninger Ties Single-Season Home Run Record in Sweep of West Chester
Apr. 20, 2007
SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - With a grand
slam to right center in the first inning of game two, Shippensburg softball
freshman Nicole Henninger (Reading/Muhlenberg) tied the school record for
home runs in a single season to highlight the Lady Raiders' doubleheader
sweep of West Chester on Friday at Robb Field, 8-1 and 9-1.
Shippensburg (25-16, 8-6 PSAC East) has now won eight of its last nine, but
still remains one game behind No. 22-ranked Bloomsburg for fourth-place in
the Eastern Division standings as the Huskies swept a doubleheader at home
against Mansfield Friday.
However, East Stroudsburg's sweep of Millersville at home all but eliminated
the Marauders from playoff contention while keeping the Warriors firmly in
control of second-place in the division.
After the first three Lady Raider batters reached base in the bottom of the
first of game two, Henninger crushed her ninth home run of the season and
first career grand slam over the right center field fence and into the women's
lacrosse field estimated at over 250 feet.
The blast not only gave Shippensburg a commanding 4-0 lead, but moved Henninger
into a tie for first on the school's single-season home run list with Andrea
Heck who had nine in 1997 and Kim Bedford who had nine in 1987.
The four first innings runs were more than enough for sophomore Lori
Knopf (Crown Point, Ind./Andrean) who picked up a win in her third consecutive
appearance and second-straight start inside the circle. She struck out a
season and career-high eight Golden Rams while scattering four hits and allowing
only one run.
In her last three appearances, Knopf has totaled 17 strikeouts in 16.0 innings,
surrending just 11 hits and one run.
Henninger finished the game 2-for-3 with a season-high five RBIs and two
runs. She was one of three Lady Raiders with two hits as sophomore Chelsea
Carson (Shippensburg/Shippensburg) and sophomore Amanda
Bardo (Montoursville/Montoursville) also had two each.
Carson was 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs, both coming on a two-run single
through the left side as part of a four-run fourth inning. She finished the
day 5-for-7 with four runs and three RBIs and in her last 11 games, all starts,
has hit .364 (12-for-33) with 11 runs.
In game one, Carson went 3-for-4 with two runs as Shippensburg pounded out
eight runs and 11 hits, breaking open a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the fifth
with four runs, highlighted by the fifth home run of the season for freshman
Lisamarie Ramagli (Levittown/Neshaminy).
The Lady Raiders added three more runs in the sixth off of West Chester reliever
Brittney Rees to take a seven run lead into the seventh.
The Golden Rams (19-25, 3-15 PSAC East) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the
third on a solo home run by Megan Harbaugh before Shippensburg tied the game
in the bottom of the fourth. Carson led off the inning with a double to left
center before Bardo hit a two-out, RBI-single up the middle to score Carson.
Bardo was 2-for-3 in game one en route to finishing the day 4-for-5 with
two runs. Junior Liz Good (Croydon/Truman) also went 2-for-3 in the first
game .
In the circle, junior Dani Shields (Laurel, Del./Sussex Tech) allowed just
one run on three hits and struck out eight to pick up her 14th win of the
season and fourth-straight start. She has also won her last five decisions.
During that time, Shields is 5-0 with a 1.24 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 34.0
innings.
Shippensburg will play its sixth game in four days on Saturday when the team
travels to Eastern Division-leading and No. 17-ranked Kutztown for a doubleheader
beginning at 1:00 p.m. The Lady Raiders will then return home to face Mansfield
at Robb Field on Sunday.
- Lady Raider Softball -
