JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Retiring all but two of the 26 batters she faced, softball's Victoria Brown pitched her first career no-hitter and recorded the game-winning RBI in the Dolphins' 1-0 victory over Pittsburgh Friday.
Jacksonville wrapped the evening with Radford, falling 5-0 to conclude day one of the Dolphin Invitational.
Brown pitched eight innings, walked two and struck out two en route to Jacksonville's second success over an Atlantic Coast Conference school. The Dolphins defeated then-No. 23 NC State, 8-7, earlier this season.
"I'm super excited and super happy," said Brown. "It was a great team win.
"I just tried to stay focus during the game. Our coaches knew better than to tell me because I would get in my head. They told me after and gave me the game ball. It was great."
A walk interrupted Brown's eight consecutive outs in the third inning but the streak continued with a three-pitch, three-out performance in the next frame.
After recording a pair of singles in the bottom of the fourth, the Dolphins nearly put a run on the board on Jacqueline Hodskins' single to left field. Instead, the outfielder gunned it home to catch Katarina Waldrop at the plate for the third out.
Jacksonville tallied seven hits in the game and the final was a perfectly placed RBI-bunt by Brown. Ciara Jones led off the eighth inning on second base and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Danielle Baker.
"Right before the inning started coach told us Danielle was bunting Ciara over and I was going for the squeeze," continued Brown. "I'm struggling offensively and not a bunter. For coach to have that confidence in me was great."
"It was huge for her to go out there and stifle those Pitt hitters," said Head Coach Jennifer Steele. "They are really good at swinging the bat. Her taking down an ACC squad that went deep into the postseason after a quality outing against Florida was huge."
Taylor Rossman's bid for a no-hitter ended early, but more importantly, she escaped a one-out bases loaded situation with no runs to keep game two scoreless in the second inning.
Radford scored its first run on a hit to right field in the third and padded its lead in each of the next three innings.
Jacksonville returns to action tomorrow against Penn State. First pitch is slated for 4:30 p.m. at the Debbie & Fred Pruitt Softball Complex.
