Everyone knows that, in baseball, you don’t talk about a no-hitter or perfect game until it’s over.
Apparently, the same superstition applies to fastpitch softball.
So when some of Polytech High’s softball players in the dugout started discussing the fact that Shaina Reed was working on a perfect game last week, coach Jennifer Bradshaw was quick to silence them.
"I’m like, ‘Shhh, don’t say anything,’" Bradshaw said with a laugh.
But nothing could derail Reed as she completed the rare perfect game, retiring all 21 batters she faced in a 5-0 win over Woodbridge.
Perfect games aren’t unheard of at the high school level. Just last season, Polytech’s Lily Engel and Kristen Ball threw one in a five-inning contest.
Reed’s perfect game was a little tougher, though, considering the game went the regulation seven innings. A freshman from the Felton area, Reed struck out 13 of the 21 batters she faced.
"Our catcher (sophomore Alexsandra Mycek) was so excited for her," said Bradshaw. "And Shaina came in and was like, ‘Wow, I just did that. It was really cool.’
"The defense behind her played great. They were very supportive and proud of her. I think she really appreciated their efforts behind her."
Reed followed up that performance by throwing a two-hitter with 12 strikeouts as the Panthers blanked St. Georges, 4-0, on Wednesday.
RSS