In their home season finale and annual breast cancer awareness game, the Lady Rattlers defeated the Alabama State Lady Hornets with a senior pitcher throwing a no-hitter Wednesday.
Jennifer Lindsey, a senior pitcher from Jacksonville, Fla., threw a no-hitter in the 3-2 victory.
For junior outfielder Brielle Gordon of Valrico, Fla., the game meant more than the end of a home season. Gordon’s sister, Corinne, will be graduating next week. The two have been playing together for more than a decade, but soon the duo will be separated.
“I was happy for her,” Brielle said. “But I was also sad because I have basically played my entire life with my sister.”
The Lady Rattlers started the game off slowly as Lindsey loaded the bases with a wild pitch, a walk and hit two batters, but she was able to stem the tide by only allowing two runs.
Senior catcher Robbielyn “Obie” Roberson of Jasper, Fla, did not let the first inning determine the result of the game.
“I just tried to keep focused throughout the game,” Roberson said. “We just didn’t focus on that. We try not to focus on the negative and never give up.”
Lindsey made no excuses for her rough start.
“I had to refocus for my team because I knew we were coming back,” Lindsey said.
The Lady Rattlers’ offense was stuck in neutral as they couldn’t muster a hit until the bottom of the fourth. Senior infielder Arianna Stewart of Odessa, Fla., hit an RBI single to left to bring in sophomore shortstop Kieifi Myrick of Crawfordville, Fla.
A sacrifice fly to left by freshman infielder Raven Moseley of Largo, Fla., brought in Roberson.
The frame would see one more Lady Rattler plate to take a 3-2 lead into the top of the fifth inning.
“We just know that hitting is contagious, and once somebody gets on and gets the energy going, everything starts to fall into place,” Roberson said of the team’s response in the fourth inning after a slow offensive start.
With the game in balance, Lindsey finished with a 1-2-3 inning in the seventh, which included striking out the final two batters to preserve the win.
“I didn’t know I had the no-hitter going,” Lindsey said. “I thought the two walks counted as hits, but I guess I was wrong.”
Lindsey was able to go the distance after the slow start to amass seven strikeouts and three walks.
The Lady Rattlers will face conference foe South Carolina State University on Saturday at 1 p.m. in Orangeburg, S.C.