EVANSVILLE - Down five players due to a band trip, Monticello softball coach Duane Garrison called on his No. 3 starting pitcher Courtney Leuzinger to take the circle against Evansville, and the freshman had a night to remember.
Leuzinger notched 15 strikeouts en route to a no-hitter and a 9-1 defeat of the Blue Devils in Evansville Thursday night. It was the first varsity start of her career.
The nine runs scored in support of Leuzinger were more than enough.
"We didn't have to do a whole lot," Garrison said of Leuzinger's performance. "She was in control."
The no-hitter is the second by a Monticello pitcher in as many seasons. Senior Karlie Klossner no-hit Albany last year.
Klossner was one of the five players who couldn't make the trip to Evansville, along with senior Tanya Smith, junior Maggie Edge, and sophomores Claire Gietzel and Claire Bruns.
Their collective absence forced Garrison to bring up some young faces to round out his roster for the road game.
"We had a little bit of a youth movement tonight," Garrison said of starting four freshman and two sophomores.
The underclassmen came through in a big way.
Leuzinger went 3 for 4 with a double and an RBI to go along with her pitching performance, fellow freshman Alyssa Kubly went 2 for 2 with two RBI, and sophomore Melissa Berg added a 2-for-4 night at the plate with an RBI.
The bottom of each inning was all Leuzinger, though, and as the game progressed the reality of what she was doing slowly dawned on everybody.
"I think in the sixth she might have realized it," Garrison said. "(Leuzinger's dad) keeps books. He knew it, but no one said a word."
All in all, Leuzinger went the distance, yielding six walks. Evansville's only run came on an error.
When asked what his outlook for the future of Monticello softball was after the young players' performance, Garrison stated simply "very good."
Leuzinger notched 15 strikeouts en route to a no-hitter and a 9-1 defeat of the Blue Devils in Evansville Thursday night. It was the first varsity start of her career.
The nine runs scored in support of Leuzinger were more than enough.
"We didn't have to do a whole lot," Garrison said of Leuzinger's performance. "She was in control."
The no-hitter is the second by a Monticello pitcher in as many seasons. Senior Karlie Klossner no-hit Albany last year.
Klossner was one of the five players who couldn't make the trip to Evansville, along with senior Tanya Smith, junior Maggie Edge, and sophomores Claire Gietzel and Claire Bruns.
Their collective absence forced Garrison to bring up some young faces to round out his roster for the road game.
"We had a little bit of a youth movement tonight," Garrison said of starting four freshman and two sophomores.
The underclassmen came through in a big way.
Leuzinger went 3 for 4 with a double and an RBI to go along with her pitching performance, fellow freshman Alyssa Kubly went 2 for 2 with two RBI, and sophomore Melissa Berg added a 2-for-4 night at the plate with an RBI.
The bottom of each inning was all Leuzinger, though, and as the game progressed the reality of what she was doing slowly dawned on everybody.
"I think in the sixth she might have realized it," Garrison said. "(Leuzinger's dad) keeps books. He knew it, but no one said a word."
All in all, Leuzinger went the distance, yielding six walks. Evansville's only run came on an error.
When asked what his outlook for the future of Monticello softball was after the young players' performance, Garrison stated simply "very good."
