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Pueblo Centennial senior pitcher Ellie Zinanti delivered a performance every softball pitcher dreams of. In a 15-0 victory over Pueblo East, she threw a no-hitter with 10 strikeouts.
"It's a pretty cool thing to finish off the season with. Our last game against East High School, (the last game) of my whole high school career. It's pretty cool to finish off that way," said Zinanti.
The senior pitcher approached the game with a simple mindset, taking it one batter at a time without overthinking her performance.
"I feel like that was one of my best games because of that. My main thing was I knew I was better than them. I know I can get each batter and I just go in there with confidence," said Zinanti.
Her strategy proved effective as she relied heavily on her drop ball, a pitch that isn't typically her go-to option.
"I started throwing my drop ball more that game. They were swinging and missing obviously a lot at that pitch. That's not usually my go to pitch, but it really worked well that game for me," said Zinanti.
Zinanti came close to throwing a perfect game, but walked one batter during the contest. Despite missing the perfect game, Zinanti credited her teammates for helping secure the no-hitter with solid defensive play behind her.
"This team, I can't be more proud of them. They've come such a far way from my freshman year. I couldn't be more proud of them and I'm so grateful to have all of them behind my back," said Zinanti.
The accomplished pitcher sits just 5 strikeouts away from reaching 500 career strikeouts. She will have the opportunity to reach that milestone when the Bulldogs begin their playoff run this Saturday.
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News5 works to honor the high school Athlete of the Week throughout the school year in our Wednesday evening newscasts. We’re looking for that special teen who is working hard and playing right all while making parents and coaches proud.
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