OKLAHOMA CITY – Indianapolis junior Morgan Foley twirled a no-hit gem and senior Taylor Russell drove in the game’s only one as the No. 10 Greyhounds (48-13) edged No. 7 North Georgia, 1-0, in game two of the 2015 NCAA Division II Championship, Thursday afternoon at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium.
Foley outdueled fellow NFCA First-Team All-American pitcher, Courtney Poole, by striking out 10 and walking two in her second no-hitter of the season and third of her career. The junior righty fanned eight of the first 10 batters she faced. Improving to 39-8, Foley only had to deal with four base runners, one in scoring position, all game. Two of those runners were taken care of by her battery mate Jenny Thompson, gunning down both Nighthawks (49-8) attempting to steal.
The only run of the contest came in the sixth on back-to-back hits by second-team NFCA All-Americans Casey Williamson and Russell. Williamson led off with a double that dropped between the left and centerfielder in no man’s land. Russell, who finished 2-for-3, followed with a cue shot off the end of the bat that rolled up the middle for the game-winning RBI.
Foley’s no-hit bit had a bit of a scare in the bottom of the seventh. With the tying run on second and one out, UNG’s Ansley Phillips roped what looked like the game-tying hit. It wasn’t so as Greyhound first baseman Natalie Lalich snagged the screaming line drive and doubled Kim McMillan off second to secure the no-hitter and more importantly the victory.
Poole, the Schutt Sports NFCA Player of the Year, suffered the tough loss and dropped to 42-4 on the season. She scattered five hits, struck out two and did not walk a batter.
Indianapolis returns to action tomorrow and will face Shorter, a 4-2 winner over St. Mary’s, in the first winner’s bracket game at 4:00 p.m. CT. North Georgia heads to the elimination bracket and will take on St. Mary’s in game seven at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 23.
— Photo courtesy of Richard T. Clifton