DeLand, Fla. - Senior pitcher Amanda Lindsey (Byhalia, Miss.) recorded a five-inning perfect game as the Hatters (10-7) blanked visiting Maine 8-0 in a run-rule victory Saturday afternoon at Patricia Wilson Field. Stetson lost 2-0 to Appalachian State in the nightcap. Lindsey's perfect game was the first by a Hatter in five years and the eighth in program history; she struck out eight batters in five innings.
Coincidentally, the previous Stetson perfect game, a 9-0 five-inning affair by Brittani Houghton, also came against the Maine Black Bears on March 4, 2005. Today's game marked the fifth perfect game by the Hatters during Frank Griffin's tenure as head coach.
The Hatters backed Lindsey up with four runs in the second, led by freshman second baseman Jordan Cleghorn (Ball Ground, Ga.) and her solo home run off Maine starter Cayleigh Montaño. Senior center fielder Amy Joyce (Lake Mary, Fla.) added a two-run triple and sophomore shortstop Chelsey Trotto (Lantana, Fla.) immediately plated her with an RBI single. Cleghorn finished with two hits in the ballgame.
A Maine error following a dropped third strike against sophomore left fielder Brittany Knipp (Land O'Lakes, Fla.) allowed two more runs to score in the third while Stetson ended the game via run-rule in the bottom of the fifth when Knipp came up again with two out and two runners on. She drove a single back up the middle against relief pitcher Alexis Souhlaris, bringing in the seventh and eighth runs.
Lindsey had previously thrown a no-hitter April 18, 2008 against A-Sun rival Jacksonville at Patricia Wilson Field. The only seven-inning perfect game in Stetson history was thrown by Shannon Dowdy against Colgate on March 25, 1993.
Freshman Courtney Gunby (Bishop, Ga.) recorded a career-high eight strikeouts in an excellent complete game effort in the nightcap but received no reward in a 2-0 loss to Appalachian State (9-5). An RBI double in the second and an RBI groundout in the fourth brought in the Mountaineer runs; the second was unearned. Stetson had its chances against ASU hurler Caitlin Wainright but could not ding her for a run on seven hits. Wainright struck out nine. The Hatters stranded the tying runner(s) on base in each of the last four innings. Lindsey, playing first base, doubled and singled to lead the offense.
Stetson will host Maine again at 12 p.m. in the Stetson Invitational championship game; ASU meets Bethune-Cookman in the consolation game at 10 a.m. Fans can follow both games through Live Stats and/or Hatter Vision, available online at www.GoHatters.com. A win would give Coach Griffin his 700th career victory.
