Like a wild animal, a no-hitter is frustratingly elusive, easily escaping even its most skilled pursuers.
But for the second consecutive season, Wildcats junior pitcher Eileen Canney has captured the beast and secured her place in the school’s record books.
After becoming just the fourth Northwestern pitcher to record a perfect game last season against Illinois, Canney surrendered just one walk in notching a no-hitter March 23 at Cal State-Fullerton.
The no-hitter came in the second game of a doubleheader after Canney had surrendered five runs in 1.2 innings in the first game.
“Her timing was off, but we brought Courtnay (Foster) in and Eileen made the adjustments in the bullpen and pitched a great second game,” said coach Kate Drohan of what impressed her most about the no-hit performance.
“There was a lot of intensity from losing the game before, and I really used the fuel from that game as motivation,” Canney said.
But being in the proper mental state is just one piece of the elaborate no-hit puzzle and finding every last piece can be exceedingly difficult. Perhaps nobody knows this better than Foster, a senior who has tossed nine one-hitters at NU but never made the next step.
“A lot can happen that can spoil (a no-hitter),” Foster said. “If the other team has someone fast, they can get an infield hit to break it up. If someone hits a ball that comes off at a certain angle, it can sneak through for a hit. A million different things can happen for someone to get on base. It’s really hard to do, but (Canney) has lots of weapons and uses them well.”
The weapons are certainly part of the equation, and Canney’s diverse arsenal serves her well. Able to mix pitches, change speeds and hit her locations, Canney keeps hitters off balance and unsure of what’s coming next, Drohan said.
Along with a golden arm, a pitcher also needs a sound mind to toss a no-hitter.
“When (Eileen’s) on, she has a great mental state and is 100 percent focused,” said senior catcher Jamie Dotson, who has been on the receiving end for both of Canney’s no-hitters. “She’s best when she just attacks the batters and leaves the thinking to me and her pitching coach (Tori Nyberg).”
When it comes to maintaining concentration during the latter stages of a potential no-hitter, it requires that kind of single-mindedness to elude the pressure of the situation.
“It was kind of weird because I didn’t really think about (the no-hitter),” Canney said. “It didn’t enter my mind. I was just trying to stop them from scoring and go one pitch at a time.”
Just because the pitcher manages to avoid thoughts of a no-hitter, it doesn’t mean the rest of her team shares that ability. Dotson said she typically starts thinking about the possibility by the fourth or fifth inning, but like her teammates, is careful not to say anything for fear of jinxing it.
Still, with the No. 16 team in the nation watching Canney’s back, it would likely take more than some ignored superstition to break up her performance.
In both of Canney’s no-hitters, the Cats have scored 10 runs, providing her with crucial breathing room she said makes it easier to pitch. Also, because of the mercy rule, both games have ended short of the full seven innings, increasing her chances for a no-hitter.
“In order to pitch a no-hitter or a perfect game, you need to have defense behind you, run support and a little luck,” Drohan said. “So I like to credit no-hitters to the whole team as well as the pitcher.”
Reach Andrew Simon at [email protected].
