Quackenbush Back To Back No-Hitters Lead HFCS To Mount Anthony Tourney Title

by Gary Danforth
There was only one better thing left for Hoosick Falls Central School freshman softball pitcher Rachel Quackenbush to do after pitching an eleven strikeout, 5-0 no-hitter in the opening round of the Mount Anthony Union High School softball tournament last Friday evening, May 15, at Willow Park in Bennington, VT. And the Queen of the Diamond did just that in the championship game on Saturday afternoon when she threw another no-hitter, her sixth on the year, striking out eighteen batters, as HFCS blanked host Mt. Anthony 4-0 for the tourney title. Coach Charlie Weeden could just as easily have given most of his defensive players the weekend off as the Queen made it most difficult for most any batter from Pittsfield High School, her victim in game one, or the host Patriots, to even get the bat on her blazing pitches. Once again Quackenbush’s teammates gave her some runs to work with and that was all she needed.
HFCS took a quick 2-0 lead in inning one. After Carly Pine grounded out, the tournament’s Most Outstanding Offensive Player, Jenna Priore, legged out an infield hit. Then Quackenbush singled to left field. A fielding error left the HFCS runners at third and second bases. Panther first baseman Katie Kovage walloped a triple into center field, scoring Priore and Quackenbush. You may as well have stopped the game right then and there. It was all over for Mt. Anthony except for the eighteen strikeouts, one walk, two ground ball outs and one runner, the next to last batter to face the Queen, as Quackenbush cut the Patriots down like ripe wheat before a sharp sickle. A strikeout and foul pop up to the Patriot catcher put HFCS away in the first.
In the bottom half of inning one, Quackenbush started putting MAUHS away with three straight strikeouts, with Panther senior catcher Emily Ciuk getting a put-out on the initial KO.
Panther Carly Morin reached via an error to open inning two but a strikeout, a fielder’s choice groundout and a pop up put HFCS away. The Queen struck out the Mt. Anthony side to quickly put the Patriots away in inning two.
HFCS scored their third run in inning three. Priore and Quackenbush both singled to open inning three. Kovage reached base when a third strike wasn’t held. But Priore was tagged out at home plate on a close call when a passed ball was retrieved by the Patriot catcher and relayed to the Mt. Anthony pitcher. Quackenbush scored the third Panther run on a passed ball. Two Panther strikeouts ended the third inning. Mt. Anthony could get nothing going against the Queen in inning three as three more Patriots struck out, with another put out from Ciuk on the second KO, put MAUHS away.
HFCS went down in inning four via two pop ups and a snap throw double play which doubled Panther center fielder Nicole LaCroix off first base after she had singled to left center field. In the Mt. Anthony fourth inning, Quackenbush induced a weak groundout to first base in between two more strikeouts. Hoosick Falls went down in inning five via three strikeouts, but not before Priore singled to center field and Kovage walked. Caila Brownell also reached base when hit by a pitch.
Quackenbush recorded her twelfth, thirteenth and fourteenth strikeouts in Mount Anthony’s fifth inning. HFCS added their final run in inning six. After a ground out, LaCroix and Ciuk singled to right field and left field, respectively. After a pop up, Priore singled to center field for her sixth consecutive hit of the tournament, driving in LaCroix for a 4-0 Panther lead. A diving catch by the Patriot third baseman robbed Quackenbush of an extra base hit and averted more Panther scoring.
Mt. Anthony went down in order in inning six as the Queen continued to baffle Patriot hitters. HFCS threatened again in inning seven. Kovage opened the inning with a single to right field and moved to second base on a passed ball. After a Panther strikeout, the Panthers’ Jackie Kimball laid down a perfect bunt down the third base line. But a strikeout and pop up finished HFCS off.
Quackenbush completed her second no hitter in as many days in the Patriot seventh inning as she induced a ground ball out, recorded her eighteenth strikeout and saw Ciuk gun down the third Patriot at second base on an attempted steal. The gunned down runner was the only base runner of the day for Mt. Anthony, such was Quackenbush’s dominance from the mound.
Roaming the Outfield: Quackenbush was named Most Outstanding Defensive Player of the Game for her pitching perfection. HFCS goes to 15-4 on the year. Sectional pairings come out May 26 according to Coach Weeden.