April 17, 2008
SHAWNEE - St. Gregory's softball pitcher Sharon Bell set a new NAIA mark for career strikeouts, breaking the old record of 1,257 set by Rachel Murray of Union (Tenn.) in 2002.
Bell, a junior from Perth, Australia, tied the record in the first inning of Tuesday's game against conference opponent Rogers State University. Bell struck out the side for the 1,257th strikeout of her career. Bell broke the record in the second inning by striking out RSU's Tanya Koch, the eighth batter she faced. Bell finished the game with nine strikeouts, upping her total to 1,263, and then added six more strikeouts in the second game.
Bell also holds the top two spots in single-season strikeouts, setting a record as a freshman with 469 and breaking it as a sophomore with 473. She also holds NAIA records for complete games in a season (50) and innings pitched in a season (343).
The game was also significant in that Bell recorded the 100th victory of her illustrious career.
