Thur. NCAA Softball: Toms no-hit Ripon, 8-0

W, 8-0
Ripon (W), May 08, 2008

Maria Bye hit a three-run homer in the fifth inning and Morgan Betker went 3-for-3 with a homer as No. 3-ranked St. Thomas no-hit Ripon (Wis.) 8-0 in six innings in Thursday's NCAA regional softball game in Eau Claire, Wis.

The Tommies (41-3) ran their winning streak to 26 games and improved to 39-1 vs. Division III opponents. UST advances to Friday's 4 p.m. winners' bracket game vs. the Simpson-Illinois Wesleyan winner.

The Toms outhit the Redhawks 12-0. Ripon (20-13) never got a runner past second base.

Bye pitched the first five innings and allowed no runs, no hits, one hit batter and one walk with six strikeouts. Marta Radcliffe closed out the no-hitter as she retired all three batters she faced in the sixth.

Bye broke the MIAC career record for pitching wins as she climbed to 85-8. That surpassed the mark of former Tommie All-American Janet Nagle (84-7). Bye now has 794 strikeouts, two off Nagle's MIAC career record. Bye's home run was the 37th of her career, second best in conference history.

The game was scoreless into the bottom of the fourth inning. Alison Wright doubled but was tagged out at home plate trying to score on Bye's single. But Betker and Olivia Graham answered with RBI doubles to give UST a 2-0 lead.

Bye's two-out, three run homer in the fifth made it 5-0, and Betker followed with a solo homer for a 6-0 lead. In the sixth inning, Graham's single and Colleen Owen's two-run homer ended the game by the eight-run rule.

The Tommies now have hit 59 homers in 44 games -- tied for second most in one season Division III history. The 2006 Tommies hold the record with 72.

Click here for box score:

http://www.uwec.edu/athletics/soft/0708/stats/ncaa-01.htm

Click here to access live stats from NCAA region softball games throughout the weekend:

http://www.uwec.edu/athletics/soft/0708/ncaa/schedule.htm