May 10, 2006

By Robert McKnight, SGU Sports Information  (Edits by Dawn Harmon, NAIA)

OKLAHOMA CITY - St. Gregory's University (Okla.) freshman pitcher Sharon Bell broke a five-year-old NAIA record on May 6 when she pitched her 370th strikeout of the season in a 5-4 victory against University of Science & Arts (Okla.).  Bell finished the game with 10 strikouts and added 11 more in her next game of the Sooner Athletic Conference for a season total of 383 K's Bell.

Bell surpassed Rachel Murray from Union University (Tenn.)  Murray recorded 369 strikeouts in 2001 and also holds the #5 spot on the list with 305.  Steph Christner of William Penn University (Iowa) is third with 354 (2005) and Julie Hartnell from Oklahoma Christian University struck out 310 in 2004 for fourth place.

A native of Perth Australia, Bell has averaged 12.02 strikeouts per game and has a 1.42 ERA on the year. With her 31-8 record, she has led St. Gregory's to its highest ranking in softball at #5. The Lady Cavaliers currently hold a 49-11 record.

Bell was discovered last year by SGU head coach Heather Shanahan while Bell was pitching for Team Australia in the ASA World Cup of Softball, which ironically was played at the Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City. Bell plans on pitching this summer for Team Australia again at the ASA World Cup of Softball which will once again be held in Oklahoma City July 13-17th.