STARKVILLE, Miss. — Peja Goold threw her first career no-hitter Wednesday night as No. 12 Mississippi State defeated UT Martin 7-0 in softball. The win marked the 28th no-hitter in school history and the first for Goold, who struck out a season-high 13 batters over seven innings, according to school officials.
Goold, who had four one-hit performances earlier this season, narrowly missed a perfect game, with her only baserunner coming on a second-inning walk. She retired the final 20 batters she faced, including striking out the side in the third inning, officials said.
Head coach Samantha Ricketts praised Goold’s performance, highlighting her change of speeds and movement. “She’s one of the best pitchers in the country,” Ricketts said. “It’s great to see her accomplish this after working so hard.”
Offensively, Mississippi State opened the scoring in the first inning, with Kiarra Sells driving in Nadia Barbary. Sells added a home run in the second inning, her 12th of the season, and finished with three RBIs and three plate appearances. Kiarra Sells and Kinley Keller both contributed multi-hit games, with Keller going 2-for-2 with an RBI and a stolen base.
The Bulldogs improved to 30-6 with the victory, reaching 30 wins faster than any previous season in program history. They also achieved the fewest games needed to reach that mark, surpassing last year’s standard of 38 games.
MSU is scheduled to host No. 23 South Carolina for a series starting Saturday at 2 p.m. CT. The series will include televised games on SEC Network and special event days for fans.
For more information on the Bulldogs, follow Mississippi State softball on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram under the handle “HailStateSB.”
