March 21, 2017
San Jose, Calif. - For the second week in a row, San José State softball pitcher Katelyn Linford is the toast of the all the Mountain West Conference hurlers. Linford posted a 2-1 record last week, which included the first no-hitter of her college career, and was named the conference Pitcher of the Week.
In the Spartans season-opening conference series against Nevada, Linford started each of the three games tossing 18.0 innings. The senior from San Ramon, Calif., struck out 25 Wolf Pack batters, surrendered nine hits, walked one and allowed five earned runs for a 1.94 ERA.
In the first game of the series, which was contested at the University of the Pacific's Bill Simoni Field, Linford gave up a single to the second batter of the game and then set down the next nine in a row and 20 of the next 21 hitters she faced. The only other Nevada player to get on base reached on an error in the fifth and neither she nor the base runner in the first advanced to scoring position. Linford struck out a season-high 11, one off her career high, and earned a one-hit complete-game 2-0 victory to improve her season record to 12-2.
In game two, Linford tossed the 12th no-hitter in program history, She hit a batter in the second inning and gave up a walk in the third; the only blemishes on the day. Linford struck out seven in five innings of work over. Both base runners got on with one out, but neither got any farther than first base. The 8-0 complete-game run rule victory improved her record to 13-2.
In game three, Nevada finally got to Linford. She struck out seven, but surrendered eight hits and five runs in six innings in a 6-2 loss.
For the season, Linford ranks in the top three of nine Mountain West pitching categories including the leader in wins, strikeouts (115), saves (3) and appearances (22).
This is the second Mountain West Pitcher of the Week honor for Linford this year and the fourth of her career.