Strechay, Meadows, Gonzalez, Watters Combine to No-Hit Kent State

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – For the first time since 2007, the West Virginia Mountaineers tossed a no-hitter Wednesday evening against the Kent State Golden Flashes.

WVU (8-4) used four pitchers on the night, starting with freshman Tyler Strechay. Strechay (1-1) was making his third start of the season. His first two starts were not spectacular, allowing two runs in 0.1 innings against Canisius and two in 2.1 innings versus Coastal Carolina.

Against the Golden Flashes (6-5), however, Strechay was stellar. Strechay pitched five perfect innings, facing the minimum 15 batters and not allowing a single base runner.

Dillon Meadows replaced Strechay in the sixth inning. Meadows walked a batter with two outs in the sixth, KSU’s first baserunner, but got the next batter to fly out to right field. Meadows came back out for the seventh, walking one more batter, but keeping the Golden Flashes off the scoreboard and out of the hit column.

Freshman Skylar Gonzalez pitched a perfect eighth, with two strikeouts and it fell on the shoulders of Jacob Watters to preserve the no-hitter.

Watters struck out the first batter he faced and walked the next. With a man one, he induced a ground out to first base for the second out. The next batter hit a ground ball that WVU shortstop Tevin Tucker bobbled, allowing the runner to reach on an error. Watters got the final batter to ground out to first baseman Alec Burns to end the game and complete the no-hitter.

It was the first no-hitter by the Mountaineers since Josh Whitlock had one against Coppin State on April 3, 2007.

All told, WVU pitchers faced 32 batters and allowed only three baserunners, three on walks and one on an error.

The Mountaineers’ offense also had a god night, hitting three home runs and scoring eight runs. Kevin Brophy, Matt McCormick and Victor Scott all hit home runs. Brophy finished with two hits, three RBI and a run scored. McCormick had just a solo home run and scored two runs. Austin Davis and Vince Ippoliti each picked up one RBI.

The Mountaineers will now travel to Georgia to play a three-game series against Mercer this weekend.