NEW WASHINGTON — Lauren Frietchen is soft-spoken and unassuming. As a sophomore, she is quite tiny.

But her pitching speaks volumes for her.

The Colonel Crawford starter faced just 16 Buckeye Central batters in the game, striking out 11 and walking just one, in throwing a no-hitter as the Eagles blanked the Buckettes, 13-0, Wednesday in a game shortened to five innings.

How good was Frietchen? She walked only Stella Betts in the first inning and retired the final 13 hitters she faced in the game.

After the game, she was as quiet as normal, saying that her first career no-hitter was “pretty great.”

Only four BC hitters put the ball in play, Frietchen was so dominant.

She showed a strong fastball, but she was quick to give credit to her teammates.

“My rise ball was working really well, and my defense backed me up when I needed it,” she said.

Colonel Crawford coach Sarah Gray felt that Frietchen controlled the game.

“She battles, she’s just a battler,” Gray said of her hurler.  “She’s a gamer. She throws pretty hard for a small girl. She works out, she is constantly pitching, and agility and weight training. She works hard all the time.”

Buckeye Central coach Todd Messmer said her ability to change pitches was the difference.

“She’s a good, young pitcher and we knew that coming in,” Messmer said. “They have a good pitching staff and she kept us on our toes the entire game.

“I think it’s the change of speed and location out there,” he added. “She has good location, good change of speed, and, sometimes, when you think you have her timed up, she’ll change speeds on you.”

The Eagles scored five times in the second inning off Buckeye Central starter Maddie Cain on RBI hits from Harley Thomas and Madison Cobb, and a three-run homer to left from Alicia Studer.

Crawford scored another run in the third on a Jocelyn Shade single, a BC error, and two wild pitches.

The Eagles increased the lead to 8-0 in the fourth on an RBI double from Hannah Allen and an error, before putting the game away with five more in the fifth.

Frietchen drove in a run with her third hit of the game and Allison Weithman singled home one, Allen doubled home two more and Shade added an RBI ground out.

“We had a nice team meeting before the game about some things and reminded them that they can’t just be gamers. They have to be practicers and gamers,” Gray said. “They built up some confidence and it showed up tonight.

“Today, our goal was not to strike out as we much and it only happened three times and we hit the ball well.”

Cain went the distance in the circle for the Buckettes, striking out two and walking two.

“We only have three players who have any varsity experience, so we’re just taking baby steps here, we’re wanting to get better as the season progresses and I think we’re going in the right direction,” Messmer said.

Colonel Crawford 13, Buckeye Central 0 (5 innings)

Colonel Crawford    051 25X X    13    15    0

Buckeye Central      000 00X X       0      0     5

WP: Lauren Frietchen (11 SO, 1 W)

LP: Maddie Cain (3 SO, 3 W)

HR: Alicia Studer.

Triples: None.

Doubles: (CC) Hannah Allen 2, Madison Cobb.

Multiple hits: (CC) Lauren Frietchen 3, Alicia Studer, Allison Weithman, Hannah Allen, Kaylyn Risner, Madison Cobb.

Records: Colonel Crawford 2-0. 1-0; Buckeye Central 0-4, 0-1.

Next: Colonel Crawford at Crestline, Saturday; South Central at Buckeye Central, Saturday.