No hits. No walks. In fact, the Miners were lucky to even make contact with the heat that Ute junior Meghan Dyer was tossing over the plate.
When it was all said and done, Dyer had pitched a perfect game, striking out 11 batters over six faultless innings.
“I knew it was going to be an important game, so I just took it inning by inning, pitch by pitch,” Dyer said. “Our bats were great and our team clicked, and before I knew it, the game was over.”
It was over all right, as the Utes pounded UTEP for eight runs to end the game an inning early due to the run rule. Dyer was in enough of a zone to not even realize exactly what she had accomplished.
“I wasn’t really noticing that I was doing it, I was shocked,” Dyer said of her performance. “It’s the first time this has happened for me. I’m so excited that I got to share it with this team.”
Dyer was stellar throughout the entire tournament, at which she finished 3-0. She allowed just two hits, no runs and struck out 17 batters over 11 innings of work.
Her success really shouldn’t be too much of a surprise, however, considering what she accomplished at San Joaquin Delta CC.
She was named Pitcher of the Year in 2003 and 2005, as well as to the first-team All-Conference. Last season, she went 21-2, boasting a 0.50 ERA while striking out 218 batters over 139 innings.
With that kind of success, it’s no wonder she has conducted herself with such poise while on the mound for the Utes a year later.
“I try to go into games with as much confidence as I can,” Dyer said. “I want the team to have confidence with me in the circle.”
Dyer wasn’t the only one pitching well for the Utes, as the team combined to allow just two runs while scattering 10 hits in four victories over the weekend.
Karina Cannon allowed just one earned run and seven hits over 12 innings of work, and Sheri Shrock tossed two innings, allowing one hit and no runs.
The Ute bats also stayed hot, especially for Jackie Wong and Diana Phillips.
Wong went 10-for-14 (.714), and Phillips finished 5-of-11 (.454) with an RBI and five runs scored.
The Utes began the tournament with an 8-0 win in five innings over San Jose State, followed by a 4-1 victory over New Mexico State.
Later that evening came Dyer’s perfect game, an 8-0 thrashing of UTEP, and then the Utes capped the tournament sweep Sunday with their second victory over New Mexico State, 2-1.
The Utes, now 8-5, will take their five-game winning streak to the Sunshine State Tournament in Tallahassee, Fla., March 10-12 and the Kia Classic in Fullerton, Calif., March 14-19.