Shields Pitches Perfect Game, Nelson Hits Walk-Off Home Run in Seventh
May 6, 2006
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - Sophomore
Danielle Shields (Laurel, Del./Sussex Tech) pitched a perfect game, striking
out 10 while freshman Kelly Nelson (Warminster, Pa./William Tennent) won
the game in the bottom of the seventh with a walk-off home run to send
No. 21-ranked Shippensburg to the championship game of the Pennsylvania
State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Softball Championship.
The Lady Raiders (40-17), who have totaled 40 wins for the third-straight
season under sixth-year head coach Bob Brookens, will face fifth-ranked
Lock Haven in a rematch of Thursday’s game in which the Lady Eagles
won 4-0 in eight innings. It is the fourth win in six meetings for Shippensburg
against Kutztown this season.
The game also feature a rematch of the top two pitchers in the PSAC in
senior Kelley Tiesi (Baltimore, Md./Catholic School of Baltimore) and Kristin
Erb.
Shields, who has the first perfect game under Brookens, retired all 21
batters she faced and allowed just three balls out of the infield. She
struck out the first three consecutive batters and had eight strikeouts
through four innings after she also struck out the side in the fourth inning.
In her last four starts, Shields has four wins and 29 strikeouts while
allowing just two runs and eight hits.
Prior to Nelson’s team-leading fifth home run to left field in the
seventh, Shippensburg had totaled just two hits, a single to left in the
fourth by freshman Amanda Bardo (Montoursville, Pa./Montoursville) and
a base hit to center by sophomore Sarah Stengl (High Springs, Fla./Holidaysburg
(Pa.)) in the fifth.
The Lady Raiders almost won the game in the bottom of the sixth after senior
Kristen Marll (Severn, Md./Archbishop Spalding) drew a one-out walk before
freshman Lori Knopf (Crown Point, Ind./Andrean) was robbed of extra bases
after a great diving catch by Golden Bear right fielder Ashley Fitzgerald.
Stacey Denlinger also had a strong pitching performance for Kutztown (32-17),
totaling six innings and five strikeouts while allowing three hits and
one walk.
Shippensburg will have two win two games against Lock Haven to capture
its fourth consecutive conference title as the Lady Eagles have yet to
lose in this week’s double elimination championship. Lock Haven is
looking for its second PSAC championship and first since 1982.
- Lady Raider Softball -
