Flenniken No-Hitter Paces Strong 'Don Afternoon against Concordia

Sunday, April 7

Fort Wayne, Ind.

12 p.m.

Purdue Fort Wayne

15-8

Concordia (Mich.)

12-10-1

Concordia

IPFW

Photo by: Lucas Carter

Flenniken No-Hitter Paces Strong 'Don Afternoon against Concordia

4/7/2013 5:01:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

GAME ONE BOX SCORE (.pdf) | GAME TWO BOX SCORE (.pdf) | PHOTO GALLERY

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - IPFW junior pitcher Megan Flenniken pitched the third no-hitter in IPFW history, as the Mastodons swept the Concordia Cardinals by a pair of five-inning 8-0 scores on Sunday afternoon, as she and Miranda Kramer held the Cardinals to just 1-of-28 (.036) batting over the two games.

The no-hitter is the third in school history, with Amanda Olender picking up the first one on February 28, 2010, against Morgan State in five innings, before Courtney Cronin did the same against Detroit on April 20 of the same season. Flenniken struck out seven and walked two in the win.

Ashleigh Bousquet was a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate on the day while walking four times. She drove in six runs, giving her 108 for her career, tied with Kristina Karpun for the top spot in the IPFW career record book, and 13th in the Summit League record book.

Dani Pugh and Audrey Mintari were each 3-for-6, while Kayti Hanson scored four times.

In the opener, the Mastodons scored early after four walks in the opening frame pushed Larissa Franklin across the plate, giving IPFW the eventual game-winning run.

An inning later the 'Dons loaded the bases again with just one out, before Ashleigh Bousquet cleared them with a double to left field, scoring Kayti Hanson, Franklin, and Kramer, and putting IPFW ahead 4-0. The lead was increased to five on a Pugh single that scored Ashleigh Bousquet.

Franklin and Kramer scored an inning later when Pugh reached on a pop-up in the infield that could not be caught, pushing the Mastodons to a seven-run advantage. After a scoreless fourth, IPFW strung together a walk, a stolen base, another walk and a single to left field from Pugh scored Hanson, and giving the game its eight-run margin.

Franklin and Pugh each went 2-for-3, Franklin scoring three times and Hanson once, while Bousquet drove in three and Pugh a pair.

Kramer struck out 10 over the five innings, walking three, hitting two, and giving up just the solitary hit, a bunt single in the third inning. The win improves the sophomore to 9-4 on the season, and is her 25th career win, which puts her into sole possession of second place in the school career record book.

The Mastodons scored in just two innings int he nightcap, scoring two in the first inning on an Ashleigh Bousquet two-run home run to left field; however, the IPFW offense would go stagnant for the next three frames. During that time, Flenniken failed to give up a hit, as she had a strong defensive effort behind her with Ashleigh Bousquet at third base and Alex Bousquet at shortstop each made a diving play in the early portions of the game to preserve the no-hitter.

The two-run advantage stayed until the bottom of the fifth inning, where the Mastodons strung together a series of hits, including a two-run single by Pugh, an RBI single from Hillary Kartman put IPFW ahead 5-0. Flenniken helped her own cause with an RBI single that scored Alex Bousquet, before Mintari took the score to 7-0 with a single that scored Kartman. A walk followed, before Ashleigh Bousquet drew a bases-loaded walk, as Flenniken trotted in to end the game and secure her no-hit bid.

The junior from Cincinnati struck out seven, walked two and hit one batter, needing just 71 pitches to improve to 6-4 on the season.

The Mastodons return to action on Tuesday, April 9 when the squad hosts the Eastern Michigan Eagles in a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m. at the IPFW Softball Field.

~ Feel the Rumble ~