Fontanez tosses no-hitter

Posted Mar 27, 2010 by Scott Carter

Updated Mar 26, 2010 at 11:14 PM

TAMPA – USF junior right-hander Randy Fontanez not only picked up his first win of the season Friday night, but he did it in grand fashion, tossing just the third no-hitter in school history.

Fontanez struck out a career-high 12 in USF’s 4-0 win over Notre Dame in the Bulls’ Big East Conference opener. The no-hitter is USF’s first since Mark Reed threw the only perfect game in school history 18 years ago.

Fontanez walked two and faced only 31 batters, four over the minimum. The other two Fighting Irish batters to reach base did so on cather’s interference.

Fontanez, considered USF’s ace, entered the game 0-4 with a 4.28 ERA, not the kind of start expected from the preseason Big East Pitcher of the Year according to the league’s coaches.

However, everything came together Friday night as Fontanez threw the first no-hitter by a Big East pitcher since St. John’s Scott Barnes tossed one against Georgetown in 2007.

Fontanez finished off the Fighting Irish by striking out pinch-hitter Casey Martin on a 1-2 pitch in the ninth, sending a jubilant Bulls team rushing the mound to celebrate.

USF improved to 9-13, showing signs of improvement entering the Big East portion of the schedule following a 3-12 start to the season.