SAVANNAH, Ga. - Freshman pitcher Emily Headrick and junior first baseman Nicole Huddleston made Armstrong Atlantic State's home and Peach Belt Conference opener a memorable one in leading the Pirates to a 2-1, 11-0 sweep of visiting Lander on Wednesday afternoon at the AASU Softball Field. (Game 1 Box | Game 2 Box)
The Pirates (10-4, 2-0 PBC) needed extra innings to defeat the Bearcats (8-10, 0-2 PBC) in game one, then Headrick tossed AASU's first no-hitter since the 2004 season in the second-game victory.
In game one, however, it was Lander pitcher Hayley Leissner putting up blanks as she held the Pirates hitless through the first three innings and to just one hit through six. The Bearcats scored the first run of the game in the top of the first on a walk to Sara Senn, a stolen base, then an RBI single by Bree Shirley.
That's where the game would stay until the bottom of the seventh inning, when Sam Floyd reached first on a bunt single. The next two Pirates would pop out, but Floyd would steal second, then Ashley Bain ground ball found its way through the legs of Lander third baseman Carrie Hudson, allowing Floyd to score from second, tying the game and sending it into extra innings.
In the bottom of the eighth, Baillie Temples was hit by a Leissner pitch with one out. Stephanie Mattes moved her to third with a single to right center, then with two out, Nicole Huddleston hit the left center fence, singling in Temples with the winning run.
Floyd (5-1) scattered nine hits in eight innings, giving up one run and one walk while striking out five to pick up the win. Leissner (5-7) took the hard-luck loss, giving up just four hits and two runs - one earned - in 7 2/3 innings, striking out seven for Lander.
In game two, the Pirates got off to a quick start as Floyd launched a two-run home run off of Lander starter Bailey Lee (1-2) as a part of a three-run first inning. Bain delivered a two-run home run of her own in the third, part of another three-run frame, then the Pirates put the game out of reach in the sixth with a five-run inning, highlighted by Jessica Strong's three-RBI double.
The offense was more than enough for Headrick, who allowed just two baserunners - a walk in the second inning to Nikki Brown, then Shirley reached on an error by third baseman Temples to lead off the fourth - in her first collegiate no-hitter. Headrick struck out six to improve to 3-1 on the season. Lee took the loss, giving up three hits and three runs - two earned - in 1/3 inning pitched.
Headrick's no-hitter is the first for an AASU player since Katya Eronina hurled a five-inning 8-0 perfect game over Francis Marion on April 17, 2004, in the Peach Belt Conference tournament. It is the 18th no-hitter in AASU softball history and just the fourth for a Pirate pitcher against a Peach Belt Conference foe - along with Eronina's tournament gem, Annie Sells no-hit USC Spartanburg twice; 2-0, on April 18, 2001, and 8-0 on March 18, 1999.
Floyd led the Pirates offensively in the doubleheader with five hits, three RBI and two stolen bases, while Strong had a 3-for-3 game with four RBI in the second contest. Senn led the Bearcats with a 3-for-3 game in game one.
