By Edwin Rodriguez

Campo Verde's softball team shut out Gilbert 6-0 with a no-hitter performance from its ace Tuesday afternoon in a non-sectional game.

Campo Verde (12-5) won its seventh consecutive game, while Gilbert (5-7) extended its losing streak to seven. It was a windy afternoon, but nothing was going to keep Myka Sutherlin from hurling a no-hitter.

The sophomore struck out 12 and allowed four walks. Sutherlin did not stop there, however, as she she went 4-4, including a home run in the seventh inning to cap off her stellar evening.

After a slow start to the game, the third inning saw Campo Verde get a walk, a few hits and and a Gilbert error to help Camp Verde take an early 3-0 lead. An RBI single by outfielder Alicia Leighty scored two runs.

Gilbert struggled all game to get on base as Sutherlin got her pitches past most of Gilbert’s swings. The scoring for Campo Verde resumed in the fifth inning when Haley Johnston hit an RBI double, scoring Sutherlin, who was on first base, to put the Campo Verde Coyotes up 4-0.

Gilbert’s struggles continued late in the game, when it left some runners on base after a few walks by Sutherlin. In the seventh inning Sutherland helped herself when she hit a deep homerun to centerfield.

Later in the inning Brandi Wilson scored when Victoria Eccleston connected for an RBI single. Sutherlin was congratulated by her teammates after ending her outing with a seventh inning strikeout.

“It felt good,” she said. “I didn’t even realize it (no hitter) until after the game.”  

Campo Verde coach Joseph Delsante was pleased with his team’s shutout performance.

“Early on in the game we hit into some bad luck. We were hitting the ball really hard, and they (Gilbert) were making plays,” Delsante said. “We were solid. We didn’t give up a lot of hard hit balls, and we didn’t make any errors either.”

Gilbert coach Troy Hoffland was disappointed but claimed that his team would improve during the remainder of the season.

“We are a better team than what we showed today,” Hoffland said. “We are not happy about how we did.”

Campo Verde will travel to Red Mountain in Mesa Wednesday for a 7 p.m. game. Gilbert will play Hamilton at home on Wednesday, looking to improve their play and snap their losing streak. 

Edwin Rodriguez is a student at Arizona State University.