St. Mary's Colgan softball improved to 17-3 on the season with a 13-0 run-rule win in five innings Thursday night against host Liberal, Mo.

Junior pitcher Bella Ascanio fired a no-hitter with 13 strikeouts and two walks over five innings. The Panthers scored two runs in the first, three in the fourth and eight in the fifth.

Ascanio homered in the first and finished with two runs scored, two hits and four RBI. Addie Morris and Callie Lundy each led with three hits; Morris homered in the fourth and drove in four. Morris needed a triple for the cycle. Drew Dayton and Kylee Kretchmar also enjoyed multi-hit performances; all nine players in the Colgan lineup had at least one hit against Liberal pitcher Ava Garrett.

The Panthers outscored Girard and Liberal 35-4 and collected a combined 50 hits in three games this week. They return home Monday and face a CNC League doubleheader with Columbus.

Colgan 200 38 — 13 16 0

Liberal 000 00 — 0 0 1

Bella Ascanio and Kylee Kretchmar; Ava Garrett and Sadie Meadows. W: Ascanio. L: Garrett. 2B—SMC: Callie Lundy, Addie Bettega, Addie Morris. HR—SMC: Ascanio, Morris.

This sports reporting is made possible, in part, by the Support Local Journalism Project Fund. Learn more at: southeastkansas.org/fund/support-local-journalism-project-fund/