LORMAN, Miss. –Kelsie Armstrong hurled the eighth no-hitter in UCA history and the first since UCA began competing at the Division I level in the Bears 12-0 season opening win over Alcorn State Thursday afternoon. It marked the first no-hitter for a UCA pitcher since Brooke Boatman’s no-hit bid against Henderson State on April 2, 2003.
Armstrong was in a duel until an offensive explosion by the Bears led to a seven run top of the third. Armstrong didn’t wither with the big lead though, as she struck out nine while facing just one hitter over the minimum. A second inning walk to Brave third baseman Alex Harris was the only blemish in the scorebook for Armstrong, in what was an otherwise perfect afternoon in the circle.
“It was a great team win and a great pitching performance by Kelsie,” said head coach David Kuhn. “Our team played really well behind her and it’s great to open with a win before playing four more games this weekend.”
The seven-run third inning began with a Nicole Beals leadoff single. Lissa Avitia then reached on an error and Stephanie Lasley walked to load the bases. Kasey Britt put the Bears on the scoreboard with a two-run single. After a groundout, Melanie Bryant made it 3-0 with an RBI single. Ashley Boswell then picked up her first career-hit with a two-run double. UCA earned their last two runs of the inning on a Beals double that scored Boswell and Tiffany Roby. Beals was thrown out at third, trying to stretch a double into a triple, to end the inning.
UCA continued its onslaught in the bottom of the fourth. After the first two Bear hitters reached base, Britt continued her hot day at the dish with a three-run home run, extending the UCA lead to 10-0. Britt finished the afternoon 2-for-2 with a homer, a walk and 5 RBI.
Despite the 10-0 cushion, the Bears didn’t let off the gas as they would strike for two more runs on a bases loaded single by Beals later in the fourth inning. Beals, a senior out of Phoenix, Ariz., finished the afternoon 3-for-3 with 4 RBI.
Alcorn’s Kassandra Duncan was saddled with the loss. Duncan tossed three innings and allowed seven runs, two earned, on seven hits and two walks.
The victory for Armstrong is the 34
th of her career, moving her within 10 wins of UCA’s all-time winningest pitcher, Joanna Velasques, who won 43 games between 1999-02.
UCA will travel east for the weekend and settle in Hattiesurg to compete in the Southern Miss Coca Cola Classic. The Bears are back in action Friday evening with a 5 p.m. start against Southern Miss. UCA will then play a pair of games on Saturday, one each against Rhode Island and Southern Miss before finishing their trip to Mississippi with the second game against Rhode Island on Sunday morning.
Alcorn State Box Score
