Trojan no-no: Kinnick Christensen’s no-hitter drives West Marshall baseball team to victory
STATE CENTER — Kinnick Christensen kept a straight face all game long. Strike or ball, picking off a runner or hitting a batter by accident, it didn’t matter. The junior kept a calm, cool demeanor.
Even when the final out was called and his first career no-hitter was confirmed, it was Christensen’s teammates who went nuts, mobbing him as he walked back to the dugout from the mound.
The no-hitter helped deliver a 3-0 win for the West Marshall Trojans (3-0) against Saydel (0-2) Wednesday night.
The feat left Christensen at a loss for words.
“It gave me chills, realizing I threw a no-hitter,” Christensen said. “It’s always in the back of your head, but you just keep on pounding strikes and it doesn’t change anything. Just keep on doing what you’re doing on the mound.”
Christensen struck out nine Saydel batters, walked two and hit three batters. He also picked off two runners at first base, easing his concerns about runners on base and making it easier for himself to get out of innings. He said he knew it was possible as the innings ticked off and his pitches were still working well, but in keeping with baseball superstitions he tried not to talk about the possibility with anyone during the game.
While the junior was cruising on the mound, head coach Jerod Brown said the whole defense chipped in to make it a complete performance.
“Our defense made some plays behind him,” Brown said. “As much as it was Kinnick’s no-hitter, I’d say it was a pretty solid team effort in that respect.”
From early in the game, it was clear runs would be at a premium. The Trojans struggled to get hits off of Mason Hicks. The Saydel starter threw seven innings, giving up just five hits and two walks while striking out seven batters. Through three innings, West Marshall had just one hit and was searching for answers.
The fourth inning began with a hit from who else but Christensen. His single set the table for Kaden Davis to hit a double into the outfield, and an error from Saydel allowed Christensen to score what was the game-winning run.
Davis was brought home by junior Payton Hart, who struck a double of his own. Hart then stole third base during the next at-bat, which set up Antonio McKinney to drop a squeeze bunt and bring Hart home. The inning fizzled out from there, but one inning of good baserunning was all the Trojans needed to take control of the contest.
“We faced a good pitcher tonight and that was a real positive,” Brown said. “He did a good job of changing speeds a lot. We had some really good baserunning in that inning, as much as we got a couple hits to put it together we got an extra 90 feet on a couple throws. Payton getting from first to second and then stealing third allowed us to get Tony [McKinney] get down a really good squeeze for us. Without the good baserunning ahead of time, that play just doesn’t happen. Really proud of our execution in that area of the game tonight.”
Brown said that the Trojans are better-built for low-scoring games this season than in years past, thanks to less hitting depth and a strong defense.
With a 3-0 start and multiple close games among them, the Trojans are gaining experience in big-pressure situations right off the bat.
Weather pending, the Trojans’ next scheduled game is Thursday night at home against Grinnell.
West Marshall 3, Saydel 0
At State Center
SAYDEL 000 000 0 — 0 0
WM 000 300 X — 3 5
Mason Hicks and Jayden Cordova; Kinnick Christensen and Cody Braddy. W–Christensen (1-0). L–Hicks (0-1). 2B–WM: Kaden Davis, Peyton Hart. LOB–SAY 2, WM 3.