April 21, 2014
SF BASEBALL
Gainesville, FL – History was made at Santa Fe Field on Monday afternoon as Kevin Martin threw the first no hitter in SF baseball history, needing just 115 pitches to make it happen. Andrew Fears preserved the no-no with a running catch in left field for the final out of the game, setting off a wild celebration from the Saints bench.
Martin (5-4, 3.26 ERA) struck out 13 and walked two, the only base runners for Florida State College-Jacksonville all game. The Santa Fe defense was superb, committing no errors.
“I felt really good today, the game moved really quickly and I was able to stay in rhythm,” said Martin. “Most of my pitches were on today, I struggled a little bit with my change-up, had it a little high but lucky they hit those foul. The guys played great defense behind me and we came through on offense when we needed to.”
George Ragsdale provided the only Santa Fe run, blasting a homerun over the left field fence in the sixth, giving Martin the only support he would need. The only other close play was a line drive into right field that Jonathan Camp corralled with a diving catch to preserve the no hitter in the fifth inning.
“Kevin was on from his first pitch,” said SF Coach Johnny Wiggs. “He had his plus curve ball, but also had a live fast ball that he commanded well. [Roger] Gonzalez called a great game and it was really neat to witness the programs first no hitter. He was in control the entire game.”
The win moves Santa Fe to 23-17 overall and 11-10 in the Mid-Florida Conference, one game behind Seminole State College for third place, and a shot at a FCSAA State Tournament berth. Both teams have three games remaining.
SF will be on the road for their final three games, starting on Wednesday, April 23 in Palatka at 6:00 PM against St. John’s River State College. The Vikings won the first three games of the four game series.
For complete schedules and more information on Saints Baseball, please visit www.sfcollege.edu/athletics. To see game photos and other updates, follow Santa Fe College Athletics on Facebook.
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