Eastern Alamance alum Kenna Raye Dark throws second college no-hitter

Eastern Alamance graduate Kenna Raye Dark delivered another milestone on a major college stage, throwing her second career no-hitter in North Carolina’s 8-0 win over Queens at Anderson Stadium in Chapel Hill. The senior right-hander worked six innings in the run-rule shortened game, struck out eight and did not issue a walk as the Tar Heels improved to 4-1 behind her effort.

North Carolina scored four runs in the first inning and never let the game tighten. Dark’s line was as clean as the final score, and the box score showed Queens was held without a hit or an error. It was also her second complete game of the season, a sign that the outing was not just dominant but efficient from the opening inning to the final out.

For Alamance County, the performance carries the kind of pride that travels well beyond Chapel Hill. Dark is not just any former high school standout. Her North Carolina bio lists her as the 2020 state Gatorade Player of the Year, a four-time all-conference selection at Eastern Alamance and the 2019 Midstate Conference Player of the Year. She was a central part of the Eagles’ 2019 3A state championship team, when she went 19-2 with a 0.92 ERA and 289 strikeouts while also hitting .435 with 10 home runs and 30 RBIs.

Her resume at Eastern Alamance grew again with the school’s 2022 3A state championship, when she earned championship MVP honors. Those credentials help explain why her success at UNC is more than a one-game flash. Dark has now shown she can overwhelm hitters at multiple levels, from county fields to the Atlantic Coast Conference stage.

The April 8 outing followed her first college no-hitter, which came March 2, 2025, against Saint Joseph’s. That performance was the 57th no-hitter in North Carolina program history, and it came during a season in which the Tar Heels had three different pitchers throw no-hitters, a rare distinction that underscored the strength of the staff. Dark’s second no-hitter only adds to that company and gives Eastern Alamance another recognizable name carrying county identity into the highest level of college softball.