Janell Gray Throws 19-Strikeout No-Hitter, Copperas Cove Blanks Shoemaker 6-0

Janell Gray came within one walk of a perfect game, retiring the first 18 Shoemaker batters she faced before settling for something still extraordinary: a 19-strikeout no-hitter and a 6-0 shutout of the Lady Grey Wolves on Tuesday at Copperas Cove High School.

The sophomore faced just two three-ball counts all night. The second one ended her bid at perfection. Shoemaker pitcher Kale Clawson, Gray's counterpart in the circle and the only Lady Grey Wolf who didn't strike out, worked the count to 3-1, took a called strike two, fouled off two pitches, then drew a walk in the seventh inning. Clawson was also, to that point, the only Shoemaker batter to put a ball in play. Gray had been so dominant that the first three-ball count of the game had come from Shoemaker leadoff hitter Taylor McClinton, who struck out looking on a 3-2 pitch to start the fourth inning.

Gray also contributed at the plate, hitting a solo home run. Gabrielle Wilson added power of her own, leading off the bottom of the third with a home run, her fifth of the season. The Bulldawgs finished with six runs on the night against a Shoemaker defense that had little opportunity to factor in the outcome.

The win pushed Copperas Cove to 16-8 on the season, with four victories in their last five contests. Shoemaker dropped to 9-9-3 and has now lost four straight matchups against the Bulldawgs.

Copperas Cove returns to action Friday when the Bulldawgs host Temple at 7 p.m. Shoemaker faces rival Harker Heights the same evening at 7 p.m.