CLEARWATER - As well as sophomore pitcher Sara Nevins has been pitching of late, it was bound to happen.
The Pinellas Park native spun a pitcher's dream Saturday afternoon, no-hitting Central Connecticut in a six-inning, 10-0 win for USF (18-4 overall) at the Under Armour Showcase Tournament in Clearwater, Fla.
Nevins (8-2) faced 20 batters, striking out six and forcing 10 groundouts to pick up the win. Nevins has not allowed an earned run in her last six appearances, and didn't give up a hit for USF's first single-pitcher no-hitter since Danielle Urbanik threw one against UAB in 2004, winning 3-0 in that game.
USF was on fire offensively as well, pounding out a season-high 15 hits and driving in nine runs. Outfielders Gina Kafalas, Janine Richardson and Ashli Goff each tallied three hits, with transfers Kenshyra Jackson and Jessica Mouse driving in three runs. Richardson also had three RBI, all coming on a sixth-inning homer.
The Bulls came out of the gates swinging, leading off the first inning with back-to-back hits from outfielders Gina Kafalas and Ashli Goff, and piled on four runs on five hits before the end of the inning. Junior designated player Kenshyra Jackson put USF on the board with a two-run single up the middle, and senior third baseman Jessica Mouse drove in two more with a single three batters later.
USF would plate three more in the fourth, again getting RBI singles from Jackson and Mouse. Senior outfielder Janine Richardson ended it in the sixth, driving a deep three-run home run over the USFSeries sign in left to invoke the mercy rule.
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