CENTERBURG — Pitching a no-hitter is no easy feat. Tossing no-no at the varsity level in high school as a freshman adds another layer of difficulty.
Those are the obstacles Centerburg’s Dustin Parker overcame on Thursday evening as the Trojans defeated Mount Gilead 7-1, in a Knox Morrow Athletic Conference showdown.
“Our guys were so wrapped up in the ‘right now’ part of the game, I don’t think they realized it until after the game,” Centerburg manager Josh Moss said.
Thanks to a walk and a couple of errors, in the top of the first inning, the Indians grabbed a 1-0 lead over the home team, but Parker silenced the visitors’ bats for the next six innings.
Having command over three different pitches, fastball, curve and changeup, and boasting a 2.12 earned run average the freshman hurler has posted a 4-0 record so far this season.
“Location and changing speeds, Dustin has command of multiple pitches and has about a 67 percent strike average this year,” Parker said.
The coach attributes several things to his young hurler’s success: Parker does not try to strike out every batter he faces; he has confidence in those around him.
“I let them hit so my defense can work,” the young hurler explained. Pointing to his catcher, Lincoln Julian, Parker said, “I have the most chemistry with him.”
In the dugout, radio in hand, pitching coach Brad Beeler helps the youngster with his pitch selection.
“He has played a big role because he has been around the game so long,” Parker said.
Parker said that during the game, the possibility of a no-hitter didn’t make him nervous.
“I didn’t know that (a no-hitter was on the horizon), so it did not change my approach,” he said.
Moss said the pitcher was not one to brag about his work, describing Parker as humble and reserved.
The win moves the Trojans to 9-5 overall and 5-4 in the conference. The Indians dropped to 10-5 and 6-4 in conference play.