Add another no-hitter to the record run by the Sonoma Academy baseball team from Santa Rosa, Calif., although its fifth consecutive no-no didn’t come without a small bit of controversy regarding a scoring decision.
A ground ball hit to third with two outs in the top of the sixth inning was ruled an error, although some observers suggested it should have been ruled a hit. As the home team against Rincon Valley Christian, Sonoma has the official scorebook and coach Dave Cox said he reviewed the video right after the game to confirm the original scoring decision of an error.
Sonoma Academy won the game 3-0.
“I think it’s a legit no-hitter,” Cox told USA TODAY High School Sports on Tuesday night. “It certainly wasn’t a good clean base hit. It wasn’t a well-hit ball. It was like an excuse me type swing. I don’t think any major league baseball scorer would have broken up a no-hitter with that play.”
Rincon had two baserunners reach in the inning and had a chance to break up the shutout, but Sonoma picked a runner off second base after the runner moved too soon on a 3-2 count with two outs.
Dylan De La Montanya went six innings with 13 strikeouts and was taken out after throwing 97 pitches. Ethan Jones finished the game in the seventh with a pair of strikeouts sandwiched around help from a great defensive play on a ball hit to the right side.
Second baseman Nathan Becker dove for the ball, gloved it and made a low throw to first base where Thomas Zelazny made the backhand grab on a close play.
“I thought it was going to go through,” Cox said.
Cal-Hi Sports notes that there is no record for consecutive no-hitters in the Cal-Hi record book or the National Federation record book, so this run stands as the record. The five no-hitters include two games shortened to five innings by the state’s mercy rule.
Sonoma Academy next plays Friday.