The season is barely a month old and Kentucky State’s Joe Crisp has already thrown a no-hitter to lead the Thorobreds over Clark Atlanta 3-0 Saturday during the first game of a scheduled doubleheader.
Crisp dominated Clark Atlanta batters going the distance in eight innings, striking out ten batters, allowing only five runners to reached base while walking four. Crisp only allowed one runner to make it as far as second base. The game was scheduled to go seven innings but a extra inning frame was need.
Both pitchers were throwing gems. Clark Atlanta Panther pitcher and HBCU Baseball Pre-Season Elite second team member, Anthony Nettles had a solid outing on the hill. He threw 7.0 innings of shutout ball against Kentucky State. Three times in the game with less than two outs, Nettles stranded runners on third base preventing KSU from scoring.
In the top of the 8th inning, a fielding error opened the door for the Thorobreds to get on the scoreboard first, allowing Jordan Ransom to reach first base. Back to back doubles by Dakota Dull, plated Ransom followed by a Chance Egnor double which scored Dull. A single up the middle off of the bat of Brandon Mason brought Egnor home in the 3-0 victory over the Panthers.
This was Crisp’s second start of the season. His performance was his first no-hitter at the collegiant level. Thorobreds head coach Rob Henry stated “Joe was absolutely locked in with all his pitches tonight. He made one mistake in the first inning that Russell Sims wiped out with a diving play up the middle and Joe took it from there. He was hitting spots, working down and locating everything tonight. He pitched around a couple of walks and an error in the 8th inning to finish the job. The most impressive thing about it was in that being the visiting team pitcher, he went out each inning knowing he had to shut them down in the inning he was pitching and the next inning.”
Henry also stated “you also have to give credit to Anthony Nettles from Clark Atlanta. He pitched his heart out and pitched out of trouble in shutting us out for seven innings. It was a great college baseball game tonight.”
Kentuckey State won the second game by the score of 11-3. In that game Jordan Ransom hit a grand slam and Kevin Givhan belted a solo home run, KSU starter Greg Tye pitched six innings for the win.