WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – Senior Morgan Perry (Bethany, Conn.) of the nationally-ranked Saint Anselm College softball team pitched a no-hitter in the Hawks 8-0 victory over Cedarville. The squad followed up its opener with an 9-0 shutout over Felician, thanks to an eight-run fifth inning on Friday.
Saint Anselm, the 12th-ranked team in NCAA Division II, remains undefeated, improving to 8-0 on the season with convincing victories over Cedarville (1-10) and Felician (1-1).
The no-hitter was not only the first of Perry's collegiate career, but the Hawks' first since May 3, 2002 when Andrea Messina '03 fired an 11-inning no-hitter against Pace in the Northeast-10 Conference postseason. In the process, Perry also tied the program's win leader, Lisa Petell '99, with 61 career triumphs.
In game two against the Falcons, senior Shannon Colson (Rochester, N.H.) had a team-high three hits. Three of the four Hawks scoring plays came off of home runs.
No. 12 Saint Anselm 8, Cedarville 0 | Box Score
The game was highlighted by Perry's no-hitter, striking out 10 batters and allowing just one walk. Perry is now five strikeouts away from her assistant coach, Tayla Trask '15, for third place in the program's career strikeout list with 510.
The Hawks got on the board in the first inning as junior Maddi Leite (Cumberland, R.I.) singled to left center, scoring senior Maggie Murphy (Scarborough, Maine) from third. Leite was tagged out trying to extend the play to second.
In the next inning, the Hawks kept the offense going for senior Erin Thompson (Newton, N.H.) to line a single up the middle which brought junior Bre Klaiber (Ironton, Ohio) home.
Up by two, the Hawks recorded a six-run sixth inning to secure the shutout victory. Starting off the inning, Klaiber sent a home run over the left field wall, extending the lead to 3-0. Sophomore Kylie Fitzpatrick (Danville, N.H.) followed up with a double to left center, scoring one. Murphy and junior Lauren Washburn (Carmichael, Calif.) finished with RBI singles. Murphy followed with a single up the middle, scoring Fitzpatrick and Thompson. Washburn wrapped up the inning with a RBI single, ending the game via run rule.
Olivia Wolffe was in the circle for Cedarville, allowing six hits and five runs over five and a third innings, striking out four. Brooke Myles threw one-third of an inning in relief.
Saint Anselm racked up nine hits in the game. Junior Kat Stackrow (Poestenkill, N.Y.) and Murphy each had two hits each for the Hawks. Murphy led the squad with two runs batted in.
No. 12 Saint Anselm 9, Felician 0 | Box Score
After a solo home run by Thompson in the top of the fourth inning, the Hawks took control in the fifth inning, scoring eight runs. That push helped the Hawks earn the back-to-back shutout victories.
Following Colson and Murphy getting on base, Stackrow brought them in with a double to left center to make the score 3-0. In the next at-bat, Klaiber kept the hitting going with her first home run at Saint Anselm, recording two RBIs.
Later in the inning, sophomore Bailey Cain (Wellington, Fla.) hit a grand slam to left field, extending the Hawks lead to a nine-run advantage. Cain recorded the first grand slam of her career.
Junior Courtney Fisher (Taunton, Mass.) started the contest by striking out three batters through three innings pitched. Sophomore McKenna Smith (Old Town, Maine) came into relief in the fourth inning, not allowing a single hit and fanning four batters. Smith earned her eighth save of her career, tying Messina in the all-time saves list.
Felician's Martarina Crumb took the loss. She allowed 10 hits and seven runs over two-and-two-thirds innings.
The Hawks are back in action on Saturday, Feb. 29 as Saint Anselm battles Western Oregon, who is receiving votes in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Poll, at 9 a.m. and then Findlay at 11:15 p.m.
