AMHERST — You can’t be any more perfect and not be perfect.
Ask Amherst pitcher Megan Krueger. She’s missed perfection by a single batter twice in the past two weeks.
Last week, it was Westlake.
Krueger, a senior, carried a perfect game into the seventh inning. The leadoff batter bunted for a single, and Krueger settled for a one-hitter — not that there’s anything wrong with one-hitters.
On Monday, in a big Southwestern Conference rematch with Avon Lake, Krueger walked the first batter. She then retired the next 21 in order on the way to a 3-0 Comets victory and an impressive no-hitter.
The Comets (14-2) not only posted their second victory of the spring over Avon Lake, they remained unbeaten in eight SWC games for a two-game lead over the Shoregals. The rematch opened the second half of the conference season for both.
Catcher Miranda Szucs swung a big bat for the Comets. Her two-out single to left in the fourth inning broke up a perfect game by Andi Nicholson, Avon Lake’s pitching standout. And her sixth-inning solo home run over the fence in right-center gave the Comets — leading 1-0 at the time — what they needed to all but secure the SWC title Avon Lake won last spring.
“At first (Nicholson) was taking her time, so I called timeout and stepped out of the box,” said Szucs. “I just knew I wanted to get hold of one. I saw one coming right down the middle and I just stepped back and let it go.”
It was her second fence-clearing homer of the season.
The senior Nicholson was perfect through 3 2/3 innings when Szucs came to bat. She then lined an 0-1 pitch sharply to left field for a single and, when the Shoregals couldn’t handle it, went to second.
She was stranded at second, but no matter. In the Amherst fifth, Aleecia Sunagel walked with one out. With sophomore Sarah Novotny running for Sunagel, junior Ari Antonopoulos followed with a single to right that sent Novotny to third. Novotny scored on a passed ball with freshman Amanda Arendt at the plate. No one knew it at the time, but it was the only run the Comets needed.
“I knew that we needed to get one in,” Antonopoulos said. “Sarah was on first and I was just able to drive one up the middle.”
Krueger struck out the side in the sixth inning. No sooner had Szucs drilled her one-out homer in the Amherst sixth when Brittney Miller followed with a sharp single to left. Krueger walked, sending Miller to second, and Antonopoulos followed with her second hit of the game, a solid single to right that sent Miller running home.
When Nicholson ended the inning with her ninth strikeout, it remained only for Krueger to retire the Shoregals in the seventh. This she did on 11 pitches and three batted balls that never left the infield. Sunagel recorded all three putouts to end the game.
Krueger had some thoughts about her role after she walked the first batter of the game, Lauren Jaworski.
“I just knew I had to stay strong and not walk anyone else,” she said.
Avon Lake dropped to 7-5 overall and 6-2 in the SWC.
“I’m really happy with the kids right now,” said Amherst coach Bill Matthews. “They’re real focused, they’re having fun and I think that’s part of it with this group right now. We play good defense, Megan’s pitching real well and today we got the bats going.”
Contact Bob Daniels at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.
Avon Lake    Amherst
ab    r    h    bi               ab    r    h bi
Jaworski    2    0    0    0    Parham    3    0    0    0
Decker    3    0    0    0    Rosso    3    0    0    0
Maxwell    3    0    0    0    Szucs    3    1    2    1
Mullen    3    0    0    0    Miller    3    1    1    0
Nicholson    2    0    0    0    Krueger    2    0    0    0
Wakefield    2    0    0    0    Kurtz    0    0    0    0
Forbes    2    0    0    0    Sunagel    2    0    0    0
Race    2    0    0    0    Novotny    0    1    0    0
Barnes    2    0    0    0    Antnpouls    3    0    2    1
        Arendt    2    0    0    0
        Reid    2    0    0    0
Totals    21    0    0    0    Totals    23    3    5    1
Avon Lake        000 000 0 – 0
Amherst        000 012 X— 3
HR—Szucs (2nd). SB—Antonopoulos. LOB—Avon Lake 1, Amherst 5. E—Race.
IP    H    R    ER    BB    SO
Avon Lake
Nichlson(L,7-5)    6    5    3    3    2    9
Amherst
Krueger(W,12-2)    7    0    0    0    2    9
PB—Maxwell.

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