East Carolina University
St. John's
Harrell Throws Third-Career No-Hitter
February 24, 2007 | Softball
Feb. 24, 2007
ECU (3) vs. St. John's (4) Box Score (PDF) L ECU (9) vs. St. John's (0) Box Score (PDF)
GREENVILLE, N.C. - Keli Harrell pitched her third career no-hitter in a 9-0 victory in six innings over St. John's in the first round of the Baymont Inn & Suites Pirate Classic at the ECU Softball Field. The Pirates split on the day, losing earlier to St. John's 4-3.
During the first game of the day, the Red Storm led 3-0 by the third inning off starter Brooke Swann. Swann was replaced by Toni Paisley after throwing 2 1/3 innings. Paisley would go on to finish the game allowing just one more run.
The Pirates rallied in the sixth inning when Sarah Bibee came into pinch-hit to lead off the inning and delivered her second hit and home run of the season. Two pinch-hit singles by Cristen Aona and Tiffany Shaw, allowed Beth Nolan's double to score Aona from second base. Tiffany Shaw would later score on a wild pitch.
East Carolina had a chance to score in the seventh inning when Erin St. Ledger led off with a single. Paige Baggett sacrificed St. Ledger to second base but was stranded there as Bibee grounded out to the pitcher and Vanessa Moreno popped out to the second baseman after a long at-bat.
As tournament play began, ECU was awarded the number three seed and had to face St. John's again as the number two seed. East Carolina jumped out to an early 1-0 lead when Moreno delivered an RBI double to score Erin St. Ledger in the first inning. The Pirates put the game away in the third inning when they scored five runs with RBIs from Moreno, Beth Nolan and Jessica Johnson. Moreno walked, allowing the first run of the inning to come in with the bases loaded, and Nolan cleared the bases with a triple into the right center field gap. Johnson would put the final run of the inning on the board with a single to right field.
Keli Harrell struck out Red Storm batters, which now leaves her 46 strikeouts shy of the Conference USA strikeout record. Harrell was a wild pitch shy of throwing her first perfect game.
"Give all the credit to the great defense I had behind me," Harrell said. "Our team needed a win and we put up nine runs on eleven hits. They got the job done tonight."
Paige Baggett would add her team-leading fourth home run of the season on a two run shot in the sixth inning, scoring Charina Sumner and giving the Pirates a 9-0 and allowed ECU to win in six innings.
East Carolina will face Appalachian State in the Championship Round of the Baymont Inn & Suites Pirate Classic on Sunday at 11 a.m. The Pirates previously defeated the Mountaineers 2-0 on Friday. The consolation game will be between St. John's and Towson at 9 a.m.
