April 25, 2011

Story courtesy of Madonna Sports Information (MadonnaCrusaders.com)

LIVONIA, Mich. - History was made at University Field on April 23 as Madonna (Mich.) senior pitcher Jess Irwin broke the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) all-time strikeout record, recording her 1,258th career strikeout in the top of the second inning of MU's 6-0 win over Michigan-Dearborn. MU won the day's second game by a 6-3 final to sweep the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference doubleheader.

Irwin passed Rachel Murray of Union University (Tenn.) who set the previous mark of 1,257 from 1999-2002. Irwin - who needed just two strikeouts coming into the game - posted 11 punch outs on the day to set her current career total to 1,267.

"To be honest with you I really wasn’t focusing in on the record," said Irwin after the Crusaders’ sweep of UMD. "I just wanted to win a game. I’ve been struggling a little bit lately and I just wanted to get back on track and win for my team. Everybody kept harping on this and I just wanted to get it out of the way so we can focus on winning. We’ve lost a lot of games this year in the seventh inning because we’ve let the other team take advantage of little miscues. We’ve just got to stay focused and work hard."

The three-time WHAC Pitcher of the Year sits third among the all-time strikeout leaders in college softball and is the second fastest to set her record. Former Tennessee All-American Monica Abbott leads all of college softball with 2,440 strikeouts to set the NCAA Division I mark. Kathy Slaten of Cal State Northridge holds the NCAA Division II lead with 1,537 from 1983-86, while Jenifer Martinez of St. Joseph's (Long Island) leads the Division III ranks with 1,165. Irwin set her mark in just 823 2/3 innings, while Abbott took 1,448 innings, Slaten needed 1,222 innings and Martinez set her mark in 541 innings from 2006-08.

Irwin tied Murray's record in the top of the first, striking out Bridget Miller to open the game. The record breaking strikeout came in the second inning as Danielle Keys went down swinging to put Irwin on top of the record book.

The Crusaders took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when freshman Erin Mayes singled home sophomore Jackie Barley, who had reached on a one-out double for the 1-0 lead.

MU added two more runs in the third as senior Ashley Shay doubled and pinch runner Kiley Thornton came home one batter later on a single from senior Tara LaMilza for a 2-0 lead. The lead grew to 3-0 three batters later when the Crusaders pulled off a double steal that allowed LaMilza to come home for a three-run cushion.

Madonna tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the fourth, with LaMilza providing the big blow, a two-RBI double to right that capped the scoring for the Crusaders.

Irwin allowed just one hit - a wind-blown single in the first - and walked just two to improve to 16-5 overall. Barley, LaMilza and Shay all posted a pair of hits in the game.

Game two of the day once again saw the Crusaders plate a run in the bottom of the first when Barley doubled home fellow senior Kelly Lesko, who led the inning off with a walk for a 1-0 lead.

The lead grew to 5-0 in the third as freshman Caitlyn Keuvelaar singled home LaMilza and Mayes for a 3-0 lead. Sophomore Amber Rafko singled home Keuvelaar and then scored herself on a single by freshman Rachel Walker for the five-run lead.

UMD got in the scoring column in the top of the fifth, taking advantage of three hits and a MU error that allowed two runs to score as part of a three-run inning that trimmed the MU lead down to just two, 5-3.

The Crusaders got one of those runs back in the bottom of the sixth when Mayes singled home Lesko for a 6-3 lead.

MU starter Hallie Minch sent the Wolves down in order in the seventh for her 15th win of the season.

Video of the strikeout and an interview with Irwin