April 10, 2001

AMHERST, MA - Amherst College pitcher Lauren Peloquin (Berkley, MA) struck out 10 batters en route to her third career no-hitter, as the Jeffs' softball team blanked visiting Brandeis University 8-0 on Tuesday in a game that was called in the fifth inning due to the NCAA eight-run rule. Senior second baseman Carline Kelly (S. Dartmouth, MA) paced the Jeffs offensively with two hits on the afternoon, including a three-run triple in the fifth to ice the game. The Jeffs have now won six straight games, improving their record to 12-4 on the season. 

Peloquin cruised against the Judges, striking out the side in the first inning and allowing just two base runners all game long. After Peloquin drilled Brandeis catcher Wendy Wright (Boonton Towns, NJ) in the back with a fastball with two outs in the third inning, Amherst sophomore right fielder Tamara Baer (Amherst, NY) ended the threat with a spectacular diving catch, robbing Sara Albert (Longmeadow, MA) of a sure extra-base hit. Peloquin then allowed a leadoff walk to junior shortstop Kerry Bronnenkant (Boylston, MA) in the fourth, but struck out third baseman Felicity Hanks (Morrisville, PA), designated hitter Melissa Leber (Fort Lee, NJ) and left fielder Evelyn Ullman (Claverack, NY) in succession to keep the shutout and no-hitter intact. 

Meanwhile, Amherst's offense ran on all cylinders against Brandeis starter Leigh Warren (Stoneham, MA), who fell to 6-5 with the loss. The Jeffs broke the ice with an unassuming run in the first, as Kelly drew a leadoff walk and scored on a routine ground-out by first-year cleanup hitter Gina Scribner (Star, ID). Baer and sophomore third baseman Missy Mordy (Issaquah, WA) then added two more runs in the fourth with a pair of RBI doubles, while junior catcher Becca Binder (Scarsdale, NY) chipped in with an RBI triple to push the lead to 4-0. 

The game ended in the fifth inning as Kelly's three-run triple extended the lead to 8-0. Scribner ignited the four-run barrage with a leadoff single, later scoring on a base hit by Melia. 

But the story of the game was Peloquin, who improved to 9-0 with her eighth shutout of the season. The junior right-hander now has a whopping 98 strikeouts and has walked just nine batters in 62.1 innings of work, while her 0.11 ERA is the second stingiest in the nation according to the latest NCAA statistics. Peloquin has come tantalizingly close to no-hitters on a number of occasions this season, with four one-hit shutouts to her credit in addition to her stellar outing against Brandeis. 

Amherst returns to action on Thursday with a double header against visiting NESCAC rival Trinity College, starting at 3:30 p.m.

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