The dust had barely settled on the Thursday night 2-1 thrilling victory at Radford when Carroll County head Coach Rick Nester filled out his lineup card for the Galax tilt in Hillsville.
The veteran coach penned in Emma Leath to bat second and head out to the pitching circle and his senior didn’t disappoint. Ten strikeouts and no hits later, Carroll County toppled Galax 3-0 to move to 11-0 on the season.
The performance followed a pregame ceremony in which Leath caught a ceremonial First Pitch from her Father, Travis Leath.
The double-digit strikeout performance leaves the right hander at 630 in her persuit of the school record of 694.
Carroll County collected nine hits against a pair of Galax pitchers but never picked up the clutch hit that would have broken the game out of reach. Emma Harman, Brooke Webb and Madison Coleman each finished with two base hits to lead the offense and Holly Miller made the one remarkable play behind Leath to protect the no-no.
Innings one through five were nothing short of a pitching clinic from Leath as Galax sent 15 batters to the plate and all 15 headed back to the dugout. Nine were by strikeout and six retired by the infield but things changed in the top of the sixth.
Hylee Holt led off the inning with a line drive that was dropped for the lone error for the Cavaliers. One strikeout later, Jayden Leonard sent a shot through the right side of the infield for what appeared to be the first base hit of the game, but Miller charged the ball and fired it to second base for the put out. Leonard officially reached base on a fielder’s choice and Leath retired the final four batters with help coming from Brooke Webb in left field for the final out of the contest.
Carroll County scratched out single runs in the second, fourth and six innings with Harman crossing the plate the first two times and Natalie Burress adding the final run.
Harman led off the second inning with a single, promptly stole second base and took third on a wild pitch. Burress picked up the RBI by laying down a sacrifice bunt.
Harman singled again in the fourth inning and came around to score courtesy of a Madison Coleman RBI single.
Burress added some insurance by singling with one out and scoring on the second hit on the night by Webb.
The victory marks the start of the second half of the 20-game regular season. The Lady Cavaliers made the turn at a perfect 10-0 and now stand at 11-0 ahead of a scheduled doubleheader against visiting Alleghany on Tuesday. The two teams split the double header last season at AHS.
The recorded no-hitter was the second for Leath as a Cavalier with both efforts coming against the Maroon Tide.
Galax 000 000 0 — 0 0 2Carroll 010 101 x — 3 9 1Sizemore, Plant (6) and Elliott (G); Leath and Burress (CC). WP — Burress. LP — Sizemore. 2B — Leath (CC).
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