Tiesi Reaches 1,000 Career Strikeouts in Doubleheader Split at Mansfield
Apr. 25, 2006
MANSFIELD, Pa. - Senior Kelley Tiesi (Baltimore, Md./Catholic School of Baltimore) became just the seventh player in Division II history to reach 1,000 career strikeouts on Tuesday as the 14th-ranked Shippensburg softball team split a doubleheader at Mansfield, winning game one 12-2 before losing game two, 8-5.
With five strikeouts, Tiesi now has 1,001 strikeouts for her career and is ranked seventh on the all-time Division II list, 18 behind Lindsey Graham of North Dakota State who totaled 1,019 from 2001-04.
Shippensburg (34-14, 15-5 PSAC East) held an 8-2 lead going into the bottom of the fifth when Tiesi entered the pitcher's circle with 999 strikeouts. She then threw three-straight strikes to the Mountaineers' Stacey Dean, getting her to swing at the last one to move into the NCAA record books.
Following her 1,000th career K, the game was stopped and head coach Bob Brookens walked out to the circle where he gave his three-time All-American a hug before she ran over to the first base line and gave the game ball to her father Len who has not missed a game all season.
With her place in history cemented, Tiesi has now set her sights on a second NCAA record, 100 career wins. On a cold and rain afternoon, she went six innings, allowing just two hits and two runs while striking out five to earn her 95th career victory. With five more wins, Tiesi would become the 14th player in Division II history to reach 100.
If that happens, Tiesi would be just the sixth player in Division II history with both 1,000 strikeouts and 100 wins.
In addition to excitement surrounding Tiesi's 1,000th career strikeout, there was junior Heather Chantiles (Harrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin) who continues her assault against opposing pitchers. Chantiles was a perfect 5-for-5 in game one, the team's first five-hit game of the season.
To put things into perspective, Chantiles has 28 multiple hit games this season, including 14 with three or more. She has had a hit in 43 of the team's 48 games and has had hitting streaks of 15, 13 and 10-straight games. After going 3-for-4 in game two, she now has 90 hits for the season, 12 more than previous record holder Jaime Dacey who led the nation with a .526 batting average a year ago.
With 10 more hits, Chantiles would be the 18th player in Division II history to reach 100 and the first since five players accomplished the feat in 2000. The single-season record for hits in a season is 126 set by Nikki Flynn of North Dakota State in 1998. Flynn has the top two single-season totals after totaling 124 in 2000.
As for Tuesday's games, the Lady Raiders scored eight runs over the first three innings and were never threatened en route to the 10-run, mercy rule victory.
Freshman Kelly Nelson (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent) was 3-for-4 with a solo home run and three RBI while senior Kristen Marll (Severn, Md./Archbishop Spalding) was 2-fo-5 with two RBI. As a team, Shippensburg totaled 15 hits, its second-highest total this season. Freshman Rachelle Wedell (Baltimore, Md./Northeast) was 2-for-4 with two runs
In game two, Mansfield (18-19, 4-14 PSAC East) jumped out a 2-0 lead in the first after a solo home run by Sytiva Seitz to lead off the bottom of the inning and an RBI-single by Kris Kelly. However, Shippensburg tied the game in the top of the second with two runs on RBI singles by senior Ali Morris (Warrington, Pa./Central Bucks East) and freshman Chantal Gross (Hanna, Ind./South Central).
The Mountaineers scored all eight of their runs over the first four innings to lead 8-3, including four in the fourth, all of which were unearned after three Lady Raider errors.
In the seventh, Chantiles led off the inning with a bunt single before Nelson hit her team-leading fourth home run with two outs to cut the lead to three. Nelson, who went 6-for-8 on the day with two home runs, five RBI and four runs, was 3-for-4 with two RBI in game two. Gross was 2-for-3.
Sophomore Danielle Shields (Laurel, Del./Sussex Tech) struck out three while allowing 12 hits and three walks in the loss, but only four of her eight runs were earned.
Following the team's split with the Mountaineers and sweeps by Bloomsburg at Millersville and Kutztown at West Chester, Shippensburg (15-5) holds a one-game lead over Bloomsburg (16-6) for first-place in the Eastern Division and a two-game lead over third-place Kutztown (13-7).
On Friday, the Lady Raiders travel to East Stroudsburg (9-9) who is currently in fourth-place, two games behind Bloomsburg while Kutztown visits Millersville (10-10). On Wednesday, Mansfield travels to East Stroudsburg.
- Lady Raider Softball -
