The Washington 14U All-Stars closed out bracket play in style as pitcher Hailey Harris slammed the door on Pamlico by throwing a complete game no-hitter, striking 16 batters in seven innings to lead Washington to a 3-0 victory and a No. 1 seed in bracket play in the ENC Babe Ruth State softball tournament.
“She was really hitting her spots,” Washington coach Brad Horton said of Harris. “She was throwing the ball hard. Out of 21 batters she struck out 16 and only walked two.”
For the second day in a row Washington faced some strong pitching but was able to dig deep to get the win and close out pool play with a perfect 3-0 record.
Horton said he was pleased with the fact that his team has been able to grind out wins early in the tournament.
“I like the way that they have had to play these close games and fight through some close games,” Horton said. “Pamlico and Down East (who the 14Us beat 1-0 on Wednesday) are both championship-caliber teams, but I like the way that we hunkered down early with our pitching and our defense to win these games.”
Horton reached deep into his bag of tricks on Thursday as he opted to bunt slugger Rachel Lang with Harris on third to pick up the team’s first run in the first inning.
Lang produced a more traditional RBI in the fourth inning as she plated Jordan Pierce, who led off with a double.
Lang would finish the game going 2-3 with a double and two RBIs, while Jordan Pierce went 2-3 with a double and drove in the team’s final run in the fifth.
For the second game in a row Washington has not allowed a run and Horton said that defense is the key for the All-Stars as it heads into bracket play.
“Our defense has been really solid,” Horton said. “The girls have been sound. I think in three games we had one error in the field. Defensively, they’re just a fundamental team.”

Pamlico    000    000    0    —
Washington    100    110    X    —    3
WP: Hailey Harris
Hitting: W — Jordan Pierce 2-3 (2B, RBI), Rachel Lang 2-3 (2B, 2 RBI), Meghan Horton 1-3 (2B), Sarah Lynch 1-3, Destiny Blackledge 1-1, Briley Waters 1-2.