February 27, 2017

2018 no-hitters

Kyle Babb combined with three other pitchers to notch the season's first no hitter in Oglethorpe's season opener.
Oglethorpe athletics photo

The Oglethorpe baseball team got its 2018 season off to an outstanding start Saturday at Anderson Field, as they swept the visiting Covenant Scots in a doubleheader while throwing the fourth no-hitter in the program's Division III era in a 4-1 win in game two. Junior lefty Kyle Babb, freshman righty Alex Smith, sophomore righty Noah Cole and sophomore righty Jack Bartlewski combined to throw the program's first no-hitter since Tim Crowley accomplished the feat against Sewanee in 1996. The no-hitter also served as the first time more than two pitchers combined for the feat in Oglethorpe's Division III history. Babb went four innings and earned the victory, allowing a run on three walks but striking out six Scots hitters. Smith, Cole and Bartlewski each pitched an inning, with Bartlewski earning the save. Bartlewski and Cole each struck out the side in their inning of work.

Otterbein commenced its annual spring-break trip in exciting fashion Thursday evening, throwing a combined no-hitter courtesy of four separate pitchers during a dominating 12-0 victory over Mitchell College on March 1. It is believed to be the first nine-inning no hitter in school history. The Cardinals, improving to 2-0, received six hitless innings from All-OAC and All-Mideast Region starter Craig Prince out of the gate in which he fanned eight batters, walked three and hit two others across 91 total pitches. Freshman Ethan Doty looked strong in his first collegiate appearance, coming on for Prince in the sixth and sitting down five-straight hitters. He made two batters whiff and induced three groundouts, one that ricocheted off his shin and as he was forced to track it down before flipping to an outstretched Luke Barber at first. Senior Jake Walters entered in the eighth to secure a massive out, facing Mitchell All-American second baseman Kyle Hartenstein in a situational lefty-lefty matchup. Walters got Hartenstein to chase a pair of sliders that culminated in a timely strikeout. Junior Chris Sparks, a Youngstown State transfer, took the rubber in the ninth and persevered through a few nail-biting plays to culminate the memorable evening.


Sophomore righty Bobby Hegarty tossed a five-inning no-hitter on Saturday March 10 in the second gamef a scheduled doubleheader as Scranton opened its spring break trip with a sweep of SUNY Maritime, 5-2 and 5-0. Hegarty allowed just one walk while striking out three in the no-hitter as the game was shortened to five innings due to darkness. He allowed just two base runners – the first on a one-out error in the bottom of the first inning, and the other on a one-out walk in the third. He retired the final seven batters he faced and allowed only three balls to leave the infield. The no-hitter by Hegarty is only the fourth on record in Scranton baseball history and the first since April 24, 1993, when Chris Lunney held Delaware Valley hitless in the first game of a seven-inning doubleheader.


Nick Roberti faced just three batters over the
minimum in his seven inning no-hitter.

Washington College athletics photo

Juniors Tyler Peck and Mason Collins were dominant in nine no-hit innings on the mound, but Chapman fell 2-0 to Whittier. Peck and Collins made Panther history as they combined for Chapman's first no-hitter since 1973. Peck was masterful on the mound. He struck out 10 over seven and a third. Collins struck out three more. Peck and Collins combined for nine no-hit innings with 13 strikeouts and three walks. 


Isaiah Ausby pitched a seven inning no-hitter as Cavenovia defeated Maine-Farmington 5-0 in the second game of a doubleheader to kick-off the Wildcat's spring trip on March 12, 2018.


Junior Nick Roberti pitched the first no-hitter for Washington College in six years in the second game of the Shoremen's doubleheader sweep of Bethany on Friday March 16th in Fort Pierce, Fla. After the Shoremen held off the Bison, 5-4, in the opener, Roberti tossed his gem in a 13-0 game-two victory. Roberti faced just three batters over the minimum in his seven-inning no-no. He struck out four batters and walked none.


Junior pitcher Colin Coffey led the Norse to a 1-0 victory over Northland on March 17 in the first of two games played at Independence High School. Coffey etched his name in the Norse record books throwing a a nine inning no-hitter. Coffey faced 29 batters and started the game retiring the first 18 he faced, before issuing a lead-off walk in the bottom of the seventh. He also recorded 13 strike outs improving his season record to 2-0. Coffey's no-hitter is the first for the Norse since Blake Peterson tossed a seven inning no-no in a 1-0 victory over Simpson College on April 16, 2016. Jake Vogt drove in the lone run with an RBI single that scored Jared Swanson who reached base with a double in the top of the seventh. 

 


Wesleyan (Conn.) swept a two-game doubleheader against NESCAC West Division-rival Middlebury on Saturday April 7 at Dresser Diamond, as juniors Mike McCaffrey and Pat Clare combined for a no-hitter during a 1-0 triumph during first-game action in Middletown, Conn. The last Cardinals' no-hitter was recorded on April 11, 1981, by Ed Keohan '83 during a 7-0 win over Clark.


Right-handers Danny Serreino and Jordan Friedman pitched eight and one innings respectively and did not concede a hit on Sunday April 8. Serreino allowed one unearned run with 13 strikeouts in a 1-0 loss. The only run of the contest came in the second inning on a wild pitch. walk and error.


Jack Herzing is the first pitcher to throw a
complete game no-hitter and lose this season.
Two other no-hitters were lost this season by
Rowan and Chapman but two pichers combined
for the feat in each case.

Penn State Behrend athletics photo

Penn State Behrend split with Hilbert Monday April 9 in AMCC action. Hilbert took game one 2-1 before Behrend rallied back to take a 13-1 victory in the nightcap. Game one was a pitching battle between the Lion's Jack Herzing and the Hawk's Zachary Crane. Despite the loss, Herzing threw a no-hitter where he struck out a season-best 15 of the total 21 batters he faced. He retired the side on three separate occasions in this matchup, and is now only 11 strike-outs away from having the most career strikeouts in program history. Despite not registering a single hit in the entire game, the Hawks were able to capitalize on a couple errors late against the Lions to pick up a conference victory, while also snapping Behrend's 36-game winning streak over Hilbert.


The Lynx improve their winning streak with the program's first ever no-hitter. In game one of the doubleheader versus the Pine Manor Gators, Pablo Casas pitched a complete game and led the Lynx to a 15-0 victory. He struck out nine batters while walking none with the only batter getting on base via an error.


Cortland senior left-hander Christian Dufresne stole the show on Senior Day by throwing the 19th no-hitter in program history and the first since 2011 as the nationally 10th-ranked Red Dragons defeated Elmira, 8-1, in the first game on a non-league doubleheader on Saturday April 14. Dufresne tossed Cortland's first no-hitter since Travis Ratliff turned the trick at Plattsburgh seven years ago. It was the Red Dragons' first no-hitter at Wallace Field since Adam Brown versus Cazenovia in 2010, and only the third nine-inning no-hitter by a Red Dragon (Matt Tone at Oswego in 2008; Bob Reggio vs. Mansfield in 1964).


Washington College senior pitcher P.J. Mikulus tossed his first career no-hitter, the 16th in Centennial Conference history and the first nine-inning no-hitter by a WC pitcher in 48 years in a 7-0 victory in game one of a Centennial Conference doubleheader against host Dickinson on Saturday April 14 at MacPhail Field. Mikulus retired the first 13 Red Devils he faced before Dickinson got its first and only runner of the game in the bottom of the fifth on a fielding error by the Shoremen that allowed Brendan Pell to reach.  However Pell would be stranded at first as Mikulus retired the next two hitters to end the inning as the error was the only thing that stood in the way of a perfect game.


Kevin Banas' no-hitter came nearly nine years
to the day of the ony other no-hitter in
Elms program history.

Elmes athletics photo

Cortland junior Jake Casey tossed a nine-inning no-hitter - the Red Dragons' second no-hitter in as many days - in a 21-0 victory over visiting Canton in the first game of a non-league doubleheader. Casey struck out 14 batters one day after Christian Dufresne struck out 10 in a nine-inning no-hitter versus Elmira. Casey's no-hitter is the 20th in school history, only four of which were nine-inning games. The only other time Cortland has thrown two no-hitters in the same season was in 1981 when Ray Gadd no-hit Hartwick, 10-0, and Mike McNamara no-hit Clarkson, 7-0, in games that were not on consecutive days.


Kevin Banas fired the second no-hitter in program history as the Elms swept a New England Collegiate Conference doubleheader against Southern Vermont on Tuesday April 17. Elms won 6-0 to started the afternoon and closed out the sweep with a dramatic, 2-1 extra-innings win. On the eve of the nine-year anniversary of Matt Wood's no-hitter against Newbury (April 18, 2009), Banas (1-2) struck out six Mountaineers in the no-hit performance. He faced the minimum 21 batters after both SVC baserunners – one who reached on a second-inning walk and another on a fourth inning error -- were thrown out trying to steal second.


Ryan Orr has two no-hitters for the Hornets in
his career, the fourth and fifth in Kzoo history.

Kalamazoo athletics photo

Ryan Orr threw his second career no-hitter in Kalamazoo College's 7-0 win over Albion on April 18 in the first game of a doubleheader at Adrian's Nicolay Field Wednesday afternoon. Orr faced just one batter over the minimum and threw just 86 pitches in seven innings while striking out nine and walking one. Orr's first no-hitter came at Olivet in 2016. This is the fifth no-hitter in school history and Orr is the first Hornet to throw multiple no-hitters.


After a no hitter into the seventh of game one by senior Kaleb Kirk, junior Matthew Devillier was inspired for the nightcap. Devillier (5-3) allowed only two walks and struck out a career high 12 ‘Roos for the first Centenary no hitter in the NCAA Division III era in the second game as Centenary (21-13, 12-2 SCAC) swept a doubleheader from Austin (13-14, 6-8 SCAC) 10-2 in game one and 7-0 in game two Friday night, April 20. Devillier ended the game in style when he struck out the side in the ninth. He went 3-0 on the final hitter of the game, but two strikes looking and then a swing and a miss ended the contest. He finished the game with 115 pitches, 73 of them for strikes.


Ramapo swept the Scarlet Raiders of Rutgers Newark on Saturday April 21 as Cory Heitler fired a no-hitter in game one to lead Ramapo to a 2-0 victory. Heitler fired the no-hitter and shut out the Scarlet Raiders of Rutgers Newark, 2-0 in the opening game of the conference doubleheader match-up. Heitler struck out 11 as he improved to 7-1 on the year.


Husson split a doubleheader with the Lyndon State Hornets by the final scores of 0-2 and 1-0 on Sunday April 29th at Alfond Diamond on the John W. Winkin Complex. Cam Graham pitched a seven inning no hitter, walking two, and striking out seven.