Sophomore Layna Gerhard Fires Cal's First No-Hitter in 8 Years

Layna Gerhard joined an elite club among Cal softball players, throwing the 76th no-hitter in a 16-0 run-rule victory over East Texas A&M on Sunday.

It was the first no-hitter authored by a Cal pitcher since 2018.

A sophomore transfer from Ohio State, Gerhard struck out three and walked three over five innings as the Bears closed out play in the Judi Garman Classic at Fullerton.

The most recent Cal pitcher to throw a no-hitter was Kalamani Dung, who tossed a perfect game in a 4-0 victory over UTEP eight years ago. That was the 13th perfect game by a Golden Bear.

Gerhard, a native of Hockessin, Delaware, pitched last season as a freshman at Ohio State, where she made 23 appearances with nine starters and recorded a 7-0 record with a 4.20 earned run average.

The right-hander is the 21st different Cal pitcher to register a no-hitter.

None of them compares to Michele Granger, who from 1990 through 1993 fashioned 25 no-hitters, including five perfect games. A four-time All-American, Granger won 119 games in four seasons, compiled a then-NCAA record 1,640 career strikeouts, 94 shutouts, 155 complete games and an 0.46 ERA.

Granger went on to pitch on the 1996 USA gold-medal winning Olympic team.

Kelly Anderson threw seven no-hitters for Cal, Erin Cassidy had six and Robyn Burgess and Jolene Henderson each threw four.

The Bears improved to 8-14 on the season, going 3-3 in the four-day Fullerton tournament.

They scored six runs in the first inning vs. East Texas A&M, with freshman Sophia Everett slugging her first collegiate home runs to aid in the outburst. Everett also doubled twice and drove in six runs.

Carly Raven doubled twice and drove in four runs and Anya German doubled, homered and had three RBIs.

The Bears return to action Friday through Sunday this week when they host Duke for three games to open ACC play at Sacramento. Because Cal’s softball facility is undergoing a complete renovation this spring, the Bears are playing their home games at Sacramento or Saratoga.

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