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Trisha Thompson is no stranger to no-hitters. The Webster University sophomore softball pitcher said she threw two perfect games/no-hitters in high school, and she threw a few no-hitters before her high school playing days.
So as much as Thompson would like to focus on the fact that she has thrown two no-hitters this season, she wishes she could have done even more. In her first no-hitter against Westminster College on March 29, Thompson walked two batters in the fourth inning to lose her perfect game bid.
And in her second no-hitter against MacMurray College on April 21, an error by Thompson in the fourth inning prevented her from getting the perfect game.
“I was kind of overcome with disappointment that I messed it up myself,” Thompson said. “I was really frustrated about that. I really focused on that one little flaw, that one little wrinkle in the smoothness of the game. But afterwards I was just like, ‘Oh, you know, I can give myself a pat on the back. I had two (no-hitters), that’s pretty good.’
“And I started noticing that people actually thought that was really awesome. I walked into one of my classes and people were applauding. It was really embarrassing. I was taken backwards, and I was like, ‘OK, thanks.’ I didn’t know what to do. I guess everybody was really impressed, and I’m just waiting for it to happen again. I don’t want it to just be like, ‘Oh, yeah, she threw two no-hitters that one season.’ I want to be able to say I did more things this season and in my career at Webster.”
Thompson’s performance against Westminster, a 1-0 Gorloks’ win, was the first seven-inning no-hitter since 2007 for the Webster softball program. Her no-no against MacMurray was a five-inning gem. Thompson is 10-9 on the season and has a 4.19 ERA. Thompson said she hopes she can pitch another no-hitter — and a perfect game — either this season or next.
“I know I have the potential to do it more often,” Thompson said. “I have that potential, but it doesn’t mean it’s always going to happen. I felt a little bit more confident that I could do it again after the first (no-hitter). I was like, ‘Oh, you know, it wasn’t that bad. I can do it again, like no big deal.’ And lo and behold.”
Runner-up: Jenny Howard wins 100- and 200-meter dashes at Rose-Hulman meet
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