Fossatti Finds Perfect Pitch for No. 1 Foothill

Courtney Fossatti’s day had perfection written all over it.

The senior pitched a perfect game and was also three for three with two runs batted in to help Foothill, the top-ranked team in the county, beat No. 5 Rosary, 3-0, Saturday in a nonleague softball game at Cal State Fullerton.

Tinkering with new mechanics, Fossatti, who is averaging more than one strikeout per inning, didn’t try to overpower the Royals.

“I’ve been working with some parts of my delivery--footwork stuff--and today was the first time I used it,” Fossatti said. “The results were pretty good.”

Fossatti (6-1) struck out three and allowed only three balls to reach the outfield.

Rosary’s Kelly Schaefer had the best chance of breaking up the no-hitter when she lifted a sinking fly ball to left in the fifth, but Foothill left fielder Jessica Reiten charged in to make a shoestring catch.

“[Fossatti] wasn’t throwing as fast as usual, but maybe that was the key,” Rosary Coach Tom Tice said. “We were able to hit the ball hard a couple of times, but with a defense like that behind her, she didn’t need to blow everyone away.”

Fossatti put the Knights up, 1-0, with a run-scoring single in the third that scored Erin Mobley. Fossatti also had an RBI single in the fifth that scored Reiten.

The Knights (10-1) had eight hits and stole eight bases, although starters Autumn Champion and Caitlin Lowe, who had combined for 32 hits and 20 stolen bases this season, sat out because of injuries.

“It’s huge losing that hitting and speed at the top of the lineup,” said Foothill Coach Joe Gonzalez, “so I’m pleased at the job we did today.”

Fossatti hasn’t given up an earned run in 46 innings this season, and the perfect game was her first since her sophomore season.

Mallory Anderson (3-3) pitched a complete game for Rosary.