From Saint Joseph’s Catholic Academy
Throwing a no hitter in baseball is an impressive feat. Throwing a no hitter against the number one team out of District Four as well as the number six team in the state for single A baseball an even more impressive feat. That is exactly what Saint Joseph’s junior Evan Roach did in his 2-0 victory against Neumann.
Entering the game, Neumann boasted a remarkable 12-1 record while Saint Joe’s was 2-7. So how does one approach such a tough opponent? Stick to the game plan. “I was not thinking about how good the other team was going to be, but rather what my game plan was going into the first inning and so on.”
After a shaky start in the first inning—hitting two batters and loading the bases—Roach settled in and suck to his game plan. “My 4-seam fastball on the outside corner and my curveball had the batters guessing the whole game. The 4-seam fastball on the outside corner was my best friend the entire game.”
As the game continued on, Roach had no clue that he was making history for the Saint Joseph’s program. The baseball program has only been in existence since 2015 and this is the first no hitter thrown for Saint Joe’s.
Saint Joseph’s Director of Athletics and Activities Dr. Justin Rodkey recognizes this accomplishment for Roach saying, “”It’s always exciting when someone achieves a first. Pitching a no hitter is no easy task. Pitching the first no hitter in program history is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I am excited for Evan, his teammates, and the coaches. I hope he understands the significance of this special accomplishment.”
During the game, Roach did not even realize that he had a no-hitter in the works. “It was an unreal moment for me because at the time, I had no idea I had just thrown a no-hitter—let alone the first one in school history. I remember coming out after the last strike out of the game not even knowing what I had just done and the parent doing game changer came up to me and the team and said I had thrown a no hitter and the team went crazy. It did not really hit me until the bus ride home when I looked back at the game, and realized that all the long hours practicing, and getting myself better had paid off. That is a great feeling that I will be sure the remember.”
