Former Santa Barbara High and UCSB baseball star Virgil Vasquez pitched a seven-inning no-hitter for the Double-A New Britain Rock Cats in a 9-0 win over Harrisburg in the nightcap of an Eastern League doubleheader Saturday night in New Britain, Conn.
It was New Britain’s first no-hitter in 11 years.
“It was kind of surreal when it was in the air,” Vasquez told MiLB.com of Kevin Keyes’ popup that completed the milestone. “I was like, ‘It actually happened.’ And then I gave coach a big hug and we celebrated right in the center of the field as a team.”
Vasquez, 32, struck out two and didn’t walk a batter. The only Harrisburg player to reach base was Keyes in the second inning on an infield error.
“He was lights-out from the first inning on,” Rock Cats manager Jeff Smith told MiLB.com. “He went out there, and one thing Virgil always does no matter when he pitches is attack the strike zone and attack hitters. As a manager, this was one of those games you just sit back and enjoy.”
Thumbs up, yes Virgil, a no-hitter deserves a thumbs up. Congrats! @RockCats sweep the double header. pic.twitter.com/O5OHuE5WSP
— Scott Blanchette (@ScottBPhoto8) August 17, 2014
Vasquez said he was pumped up to throw a no-hitter.
“I’m in the dugout and I’m like, ‘Oh I want to do it, I want to do it,’ and then I was thinking, ‘Well, if it happens, it happens and if it doesn’t, it doesn’t,'” he recalled. “I really wanted to do it for my team because everyone involved gets to really celebrate in it, and that’s what it really came down to when I came back out in the seventh.”
Vasquez needed only seven pitches to wrap up his second shutout in five weeks.
“It’s fun. When you’re out there, you’re smiling, you’re with your buddies, they’re scoring runs out there,” he told MiLB.com. “That’s why you play the game, for those dogpiles, for playoffs, to celebrate victories for our teammates. And that was so much fun to be out there in the middle of it, actually.”
Vasquez has been playing professional baseball since 2003. He’s had a couple of stints in the majors with Detroit in 2007 and Pittsburgh in 2009.
New Britain is a farm team for the Minnesota Twins.
