There are a few single-game feats by pitchers in baseball and softball that are impressive. The no-hitter is probably the most famous, and also the most common. As of hiding this cache, there have already been 6 in Major League Baseball this season. There is the perfect game, which is more impressive and more rare, since a batter could reach base via walk, error, fielder's choice, hit by pitch, or other options in a no-hitter. The immaculate inning, which happens to be both the rarest and my favorite of the three, is when a pitcher strikes out all three batters in an inning in 9 pitches. 9 strikes in a row.
Hope Trautwein is a pitcher for the University of North Texas Mean Green softball team. She made news earlier this year by pitching a perfect game while striking out every single batter she faced - a feat so unthinkably rare that it doesn't have a name. In fact, this is the first time it's ever been done. At any level across baseball or softball.
On April 11,th 2021, Trautwein pitched against the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. It was an away game, and the first of two games to be played between the two schools in back to back days.
She faced 12 different players across 21 plate appearances, and each one of the 21 face offs ended with a strike out - most of them swinging. In fact, the first 10 batters faced (every player, and then the first batter again) struck out swinging. 17 of the 21 strike outs were swinging strike outs, and Trautwein threw only 78 pitches. The minimum would be 63, which means only 15 pitches were balls or foul balls with two strikes. In fact, she never had a three-ball count.
It was the first perfect game in the history of the University of North Texas softball program, and the first perfect game of its kind anywhere. It was not the first time 21 strike outs had been recorded in a 7 inning game, but none of those ended in a perfect game. Alexis Osorio threw 21 strike outs in 7 innings for Alabama in 2018, and Michele Granger did the same for California in 1991, but runners got on base in both of those games. In fact, in her first game of the season, Trautwein threw 21 strike outs in 7 innings against Southeastern Louisiana, but also allowed 5 hits and 2 runs to score in that game.
Hope Trautwein is not new to great pitching. She has thrown two no-hitters for the Mean Green, with one in 2018 and one in 2019. She is the school record holder in career ERA (2.05), Saves (15), opponent batting average (.197), and strike outs per seven innings (8.01). She has tied also the school record in career wins (61). Her Junior (1.64) and Senior (1.46) years are the two best single season ERAs in program history, her Sophomore year is tied for the most wins in a season (22), and her senior season is the most strike outs in a season (235).
Long story short, Hope Trautwein pitched a game that is beyond once-in-a-lifetime. This cache is to celebrate that feat.
Congrats to beatnik59 for the First to Find!