POSTGAME INTERVIEW

SALEM, Va. – Senior Madison Williams tossed her third no-hitter of the season as Humboldt State softball avoided elimination and defeated Molloy 2-0 Friday night at the Moyer Sports Complex.
 
"It's great when you have a pitcher that goes out there and does her thing," said HSU Head Coach Shelli Sarchett. "She doesn't stress about throwing pitches a certain way and stays loose. Sometimes I think I am more nervous than she is. I have learned in my four years to try and stay calm. I don't expect no-hitters out of Maddie all the time, but I expect her to go out there and give us a game, to go out there and continue to throw her game. She did that today, staying nice and loose and moving the ball."
 
Coming off one of her toughest outings of the postseason, Williams locked in and mystified Lions batters. The Brentwood, Calif., product struck out 10 and walked a pair in 7.0 innings of no-hit ball as she improved her record to 25-10.
 
"I was just going with what was working," said Williams. "I saw from the beginning how they were not on certain pitches and on certain pitches. I was just trying to mix it up a little bit, but to stick with what was working. My defense behind me was tremendous, and they made a lot of plays for me. My right fielder saved the game for me in the sixth inning and that was great."
 
HSU opened the game with extra-base hits in the first and second innings, but was unable to plate a run until the third. Winona Vigil reached on a fielding error, swiped second and third before scoring the game's first run on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Sydney Roberts.
 
Breonna Bejaran belted the first pitch she saw from Lions starter Chelsea Hawks over the right field wall to start the fourth and give the Jacks a 2-0 advantage. Bejaran's long ball was her 13^th of the season and she was HSU's top batter going 3-for-3 at the plate.
 
Hawks weathered the storm in the elimination game, but surrendered seven hits and two earned runs in 7.0 innings.
 
HSU will face Armstrong State at 8 a.m. PT Saturday. The Jacks met the Pirates three times in last year's trip to the National Championship tournament, winning two of the games.
 
"I think it's nice, healthy competition between us and Armstrong," said Sarchett. "Both teams get along well, and we can talk about it off the field. That makes for great competition on the field and makes the game fun."