Avon Grove pitcher Maggie Balint hurls her fifth no-hitter of the season

West Goshen – Avon Grove senior pitcher Maggie Balint hurled her fifth no-hitter of the season Friday as the Red Devils beat host West Chester Henderson 1-0.
“When she gets in the groove, she’s tough to hit,” said Avon Grove head coach Mike DiLuzio.
In 95 innings this season, the University of Oregon-bound hurler has allowed only 20 hits and 18 walks, while striking out 195 batters, for a 12-2 record and 0.44 ERA.
Friday, she fanned 15 West Chester Henderson batters, and allowed only two base runners – one on a third inning error; the other on a fifth-inning walk (drawn by Warrior catcher Analise Fouracre.)
“My rise and screwball were working well today,” said Balint. “Our catcher (Olivia Kuninsky) was calling a great game. [She and I] were on the same wavelength the [entire] game.”
And to top it off, Balint, who was batting third in the lineup, smacked the game-winning hit, a solo home run to left center field with two out in the top of the sixth inning.
After the Friday afternoon game, Balint, whose career stats with Avon Grove include 63 wins and 1,146 strikeouts, headed for her senior prom.
West Chester Henderson senior pitcher Sam Fouracre pitched a pretty good game of her own Friday, working out of several jams early, as she gave up four hits in the first three innings (two of them by Avon Grove left fielder and leadoff hitter Megan Nolan.)
In the first inning, the Red Devils had runners on second and third and only one out, but Fouracre got the next Avon Grove hitter to pop out to the mound, then struck out the next batter to end the threat.
“Sam pitched a heck of a good game today,” said West Chester Henderson head coach Chris Hessler. “She’s really put the team on her back this year, been a team leader. She’ll be playing softball for Messiah College next year, and they’re getting a heck of a team player.”
West Chester Henderson (9-5) made some fine defensive plays Friday. In the third inning, Warrior center fielder Carly Bullock doubled a Red Devil off first base after catching a fly ball. In the sixth, Sam Fouracre made a diving catch of a ball hit between the pitcher’s mound and third base. Hessler praised the amount of ground covered by Warrior shortstop Kasey Collins.
“Our defense really stepped up this game,” said Hessler. “Our defense has been key for us all year.”
For Avon Grove, DiLuzio is encouraged by his team’s improved hitting, particularly by Megan Nolan, shortstop Morgan DeFeo, Olivia Kuninsky and second baseman Olivia McGarvey.
“We’re starting to hit,” said DiLuzio. “We’re not striking out, and we’ve been hitting balls hard, but right at people, like we did today.”

Avon Grove 1, West Chester Henderson 0

Avon Grove          000 001 0 — 1
W.C. Henderson 000 000 0 — 0

HR: Balint (AG).

WP – Balint; LP- S. Fouracre.