April 1, 2011

Story courtesy of Asbury Sports Information

WILMORE, Ky. - Asbury's (Ky.) Maris Harreld tossed her second no-hitter of the season as the Eagles swept the University of the Cumberlands (Ky.) on Tuesday, 4-2 and 4-0.  Harreld threw a no-hitter back in her first start of the season against Alice Lloyd on March 4.

For the second time in as many starts at home, the sophomore from Brandenburg, Ky., has no-hit the opposition.  On Tuesday, Harreld (2-1) had a perfect game going with two outs in the fourth before walking Jessica Speak on a 3-2 count, the first walk she has allowed this season.  Harreld would walk one more in the seventh.  Harreld struck out 10 on the night.

"Maris had great control of her pitches tonight and really commanded the strike zone," said head coach Larry McCullough.  "I'm so proud of her because she's always working outside of practice to get better, and it showed tonight."

Asbury (4-2) scored one run in the first and the third as Miranda Drury drove in Kendall Ratchford in the first and Rebecca Baker brought in Ashlea Hollon in the third.  Seven of the nine batters for the Eagles picked up a hit in the game as Baker and Harreld had two each.  The Eagles added their final two runs in the sixth as Mary Ann Warford singled in Harreld; Ratchford would score after a throwing error on the same play.

Two runs in the bottom of the sixth in game one proved to be the difference, breaking a 2-2 tie.  The Eagles took advantage of two errors in the inning by the Patriots to score on a sacrifice fly and a dropped fly ball. 

Asbury scored first in the game as Emily Ethington knocked home Warford in the first.  Cumberlands would tie the score at 1-1 with a run in the top of the third but the Eagles answered in the bottom of the inning as Ratchford belted her first homer of the season.  Cumberlands would add the tying run in the fourth.

Jessica Johnson (1-0) made her second start of the season inside the circle for Asbury, throwing her first career complete game.  The freshman allowed only five hits while walking two and striking out one.