DiNapoli Tosses No-Hitter and UNC Defeats Manhattan

Friday, March 1

Greeley, Colo.

2 p.m.

University of Northern Colorado

4-11

Manhattan College

1-5

Manhattan

Northern Colorado

Photo by: Jam David

3/1/2024 9:16:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Dennis Driscoll, UNC Associate Athletic Director for Strategic Communications

GREELEY, Colo. – Junior Isabelle DiNapoli threw the third no-hitter in Northern Colorado's NCAA Division I era and the Bears topped Manhattan 8-0 (five innings) Friday afternoon on the first day of the Fairfield Inn & Suites Colorado Classic at Gloria Rodriguez Field.

DiNapoli kept the Jaspers off-balance throughout the contest and fanned five batters.

"I honestly had no idea I was throwing a no-hitter. My pitches felt pretty good, but I was just focusing on trying to pitch as well as I could for our team," DiNapoli said. "My teammates played great defense behind me and built up a big lead, which always makes it easier to pitch. It was an all-around great team win!"

UNC head coach Dedeann Pendelton-Helm was ecstatic for DiNapoli.

"I am very proud of Izzy for maintaining focus and achieving the no-hitter," Pendelton-Helm said. "It is always an impressive achievement."

A seven-run second inning put the Bears in firm control.

The Bears hit back-to-back home runs. Alison Steinker provided DiNapoli with all the run support needed and drilled a three-run home run to center field. Emma Harrington then hit a solo home run to left center field.

Quinn Myers-Lenz singled up the middle to push across a pair of runs, and Amailee Morales added an RBI to close out the second inning.

Steinker added a sacrifice fly in the third inning, which would later induce the five-inning, 8-run rule mercy rule.

Inside the box score

As a team, UNC collected eight hits and left only one runner on base.
Steinker finished 1-for-1 with four RBI.
Alyssa Wenzel batted 2-for-2 and scored a pair of runs.
Sabrina Javorsky and Harrington each finished 1-for-2.
Abby Gaona finished 1-for-2 and scored a run.
Javorsky and Gaona each picked up a double, and Wenzel added a triple.
Quinn Myers - Lenz recorded a stolen base.

In the opener, Erin Caviness recorded 13 strikeouts, but Manhattan forced the game into extra innings.

Javorsky singled through the right side to score two runs.

MC scored a run in the sixth inning to tie it and four runs in the eighth inning to clinch the game 7-2.

Up next

The Bears return to action Saturday at noon for a doubleheader versus Iowa State and will play Manhattan again on Sunday at noon.