Typically, the term “striking out” is a derogatory term except in baseball or softball. When a pitcher strikes out every batter in baseball or softball, it is called a perfect game.
Hope Trautwein, a University of North Texas student and softball player made history last week. She became the first NCAA Division I pitcher to strike out every single batter in the seven-inning game.
This means that out of 21 players who went up to bat, not a single opposing batter was able to connect their bat to a ball or reach a base by fielding error or a walk. The only way they left home plate was to turn around and head back to their dugout.
UNT Head Coach Rodney DeLong was in awe of the feat.
“I don’t really know what else to call it,” DeLong noted in an interview. “Never seen anything like it. Don’t know if I ever will.”
DeLong said he did not have to do much as a coach during the game.
“Yeah, it was pretty easy sitting there watching her,” he said in an NPR interview. “Doesn’t really put any pressure on our defense or anything, and they weren’t even hardly fouling the ball off early.”
This is not the first time Trautwein has showed off her pitching skills. She has pitched two no-hitters before – one in 2018 and one in 2019. Sunday was actually the third time she has struck out 21 batters in a single game.
Two other pitchers in the NCAA Division I softball have struck out 21 batters in seven innings – Alabama’s Alexis Osorio in 2018 and California’s Michele Granger in 1991. However, neither of them were considered perfect games.