College softball: Phillips up to her old tricks for Centenary

The last time softball fans in the Permian Basin saw Hillary Phillips pitch last season, the then-Odessa High senior was dialing up a perfect game against Lubbock Monterey in the first game of the Class 5A area playoffs at the Ratliff Softball Complex.

Phillips struck out 19 that May 1 evening and then followed it up with a no-hitter the next afternoon to help the Lady Bronchos on their way to the state semifinals.

That run to the Class 5A final four not only put the OHS program on the map, it also got Phillips noticed by college recruiters and when all was said and done, she signed with Centenary College in Shreveport, La.

This past weekend, Phillips was at it again in her collegiate debut.

After coming on in relief against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville on Friday, Phillips pitched 6 1/3 innings of relief to earn her first college victory.

"That was a pretty good debut," Centenary coach Mark Montgomery said. "We weren't expecting to use her against SIU, but she came in and did a great job for us in relief.

"So good, in fact, that we wanted to see just what she could do with a start."

Saturday afternoon against Bryant University of Smithfield, Rhode Island, in her first collegiate start, Phillips was up to her old tricks.

Facing just 24 hitters, Phillips threw her first college no-hitter, blanking Bryant 4-0, with seven strikeouts. When her first weekend finally ended, she had pitched 19 1/3 innings, allowing just three earned runs, with 19 strikeouts.

"That was pretty exciting," Phillips said by phone Wednesday. "I felt good all week during practice and when I was warming up, I was hitting my spots.

"I never expected to throw a no-hitter in my first start, I just wanted to compete. It was a great weekend for us."

Montgomery figured out what Phillips was in the middle of around the fifth inning, but had to make sure. So he went over to assistant coach Dan Moreman to make sure his hunch was right.

Moreman was the coach that Montgomery sent to Abilene Christian last May to recruit another pitcher, but found Phillips tossing 25 innings against Weatherford in two games. Moreman called Montgomery after Phillips' 11-inning victory against the Roos to tell his coach they were recruiting the wrong pitcher, putting Phillips squarely on the recruiting map.

Still, in her first start, Montgomery never expected a complete shutdown of a program that had won 30 games in 2008.

"I asked him if he knew what was going on," Montgomery said with a laugh. "I had to ask in a way that I never actually said the words no-hitter.

"He finally told me that she hadn't given up any hits, so we went from there."

Later in the game, Montgomery found out how tough his newest pitcher was when she barely deflected a comebacker that glanced off her face and left her with a bloody lip. It didn't, however, knock her out of the game and Phillips finished off her gem.

"From the first day she got here, Hillary has shown a blue-collar work ethic and really has improved on the mound," Montgomery said. "She really was a fastball pitcher with a change up when she got here, but we've added a true rise, a screwball and we are working on a drop and that's going to make her even more dominant."

Phillips' opening weekend also was noticed by the Sunset League officials, which named her the league's Pitcher of the Week. Making the weekend more special was the Phillips was able to play in front of her parents, Debbie and Russ.

"It was great having them here," said Phillips, who helped the Ladies to a 4-1 mark to start the season. "Getting a chance to pitch in Division I is a dream come true and Centenary has been the perfect fit for me.

"I think we have a really good team this year and should have the chance to do well. I'm just happy to be a part of it."