Saint Leo University softball coach John Conway was so focused on the score of a recent contest, he wasn’t paying full attention to the game’s stats.
(Courtesy of Mike Carlson)
It was only after the Lions had secured a tight 1-0 victory over Florida Southern College that he found out something interesting: His pitcher, Ashley Ehlers, hadn’t given up many hits.
In fact, she didn’t give up any.
“I didn’t know it was a no-hitter until the game was over,” Conway said. “My pitching coach had to tell me it was a no-hitter.”
Ehlers struck out two and walked three to give Saint Leo the first game of a double-header against the Moccasins on April 19. It also boosted her record to 11-5 on the year.
Conway may not have realized what was happening at the time, but he’s not surprised Ehlers, a junior, came through for the Lions when the team needed strong pitching.
“She’s one of these pitchers who works very hard,” he said. “She has gotten better every year that she’s been here.”
The game’s score probably added some pressure for Ehlers because it was a close contest with little room for error, Conway said. One mistake might not only have cost her the no-hitter, but cost Saint Leo the game as well. That she preserved the no-hitter and the win makes the accomplishment even more impressive.
But there were more impressive accomplishments for the Lions and Ehlers that day. In the second game, pitcher Alana Tabel went above and beyond a game’s worth of no-hit ball, pitching 8-1/3 innings before the Moccasins finally registered a couple of hits.
With the game still a scoreless tie in the 10th inning, Saint Leo went back to Ehlers for some extra work and she responded with another inning without giving up any hits. That proved to be enough, as the Lions broke through in the bottom of the 10th inning to claim a second 1-0 victory, and make Ehlers the winning pitcher of record in both games.
Ehlers had pitched no-hitters in high school, but recording one at the college level was special for her.
“I feel like this one means a lot more,” she said. “In high school there are only a couple of girls on every high school team who are going to college (and play softball), and in college it’s all the dominant players.”
As a competitor, Ehlers said earning the victory was more important than preserving the no-hitter. Competing in the tough Sunshine State Conference means every game matters, and conference games are even more important. So taking two from fellow SSC member Florida Southern was particularly satisfying.
Her strong junior year campaign is also a source of pride for Ehlers because she comes from a family of softball players. Her younger sister, Aubrey, is a pitcher for Dunedin High School, and was excited to hear about the no-hitter.
“She thought it was so awesome,” Ehlers said. “My little sister looks up to me so much. Everything that I do in my success, I want her to see that and know that she can do that as well.”
Her older sister, Amber, was also a pitcher when she attended Hillsborough Community College, and was proud to hear about her little sister’s accomplishment.
Ehlers said the confidence she gained from the no-hitter would likely carry over into future games, and it did: She earned another victory against Barry University the following weekend.
Her own no-hitter aside, Ehlers also was impressed with Tabel’s pitching in the second game, which would have marked another no-hitter if the Lions had scored in regulation.
“She threw an awesome game,” Ehlers said.
And Conway agrees.
“I just think both my pitchers were throwing a good game that day,” he said. “They both were on.”
Published May 7, 2014
