Four teams toss no-hitters in NCAA softball tournament openers

Four teams notched no-hitters as the NCAA softball tournament kicked off Friday.

Clemson started its postseason run off hot, with pitcher Millie Thompson recording a no-hitter to lead the Tigers past UNC Wilmington 9-0.

Six runs in the first frame has @clemsonsoftball off to a blistering start 🔥

📺 @accnetwork #RoadToWCWS x 🎥 @espnW pic.twitter.com/U1HQRTqLrO

— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) May 20, 2022

Florida State kept the no-hitter theme going as Danielle Watson tossed a no-no to lift her side to an 8-0 victory over Howard in front of a record 1,646-person crowd at JoAnne Graf Field.

.@mje_51 caught the runner napping! 💤

M4 | FSU 1, Howard 0

📺: ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/YrorAtduaS

— Florida State Softball 🥎 (@FSU_Softball) May 21, 2022

Keely Rochard stuck out 17 of the 23 batters she faced in Virginia Tech’s 4-0 win over St. Francis for her ninth career no-hitter.

“You can just hear Hokie nation over top of everything, so I think that just helps having all that support behind us and just knowing they’re cheering us on the whole time,” Rochard said of the sold-out home crowd after Friday’s win.

17 Ks. Zero hits 😱

Keely Rochard was dealing in the NCAA Softball Tournament ♨️ pic.twitter.com/jQk1N4eM6b

— ESPN (@espn) May 20, 2022

Oklahoma rounded out the no-hitters for the day, with Nicole May and Hope Trautwein throwing a combined no-hitter to lead the Sooners to an emphatic 14-0 victory over Prairie View A&M.

The win marked a program-record seventh no-hit performance of the season for the Sooners.

𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 ¯\_(ツ)_/¯@nicolehmay » @JohnsJana » @taylonsnoww

📺 ESPN+ » https://t.co/offCo2cqLt pic.twitter.com/qxrHWqaXbF

— Oklahoma Softball (@OU_Softball) May 21, 2022