It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. The calm before the storm. From the sublime to the ridiculous.
Apt clicheÌs for Saturday’s doubleheader between Oxford and Imperial College London abound. With great performances from pitcher Taylor Jasewski and shortstop Natalie Dixon, Oxford cruised to an easy 12-0 victory in the opener before losing the second match 10-9.
Oxford got off to a fast start in the first inning of the opener and never looked back. After Dixon and Jaszewski patiently worked back-to-back one-out walks, Alex Butcher-Nesbitt delivered the first run of the game with a booming double to right field, scoring Dixon and advancing Jaszewski to third.
A few baserunning faux pas had little impact on the outcome, as three runs turned out to be two more than a dominant Jaszewski would need. Utilizing a live fastball that consistently grazed the outside corner and a wicked curveball that produced multiple swinging strikeouts, Jaszewski powered through Imperial lineup with ease. As the game progressed, Jaszewski stayed cool and picked up his second strikeout of the inning to end the threat.
From there, Jaszewski was perfect through the remaining four innings, leaving him proudowner of one of the rarest of pitching achievements: a no-hitter.
Asked whether he considered the feat he was nearing, Jaszewski said, “Honestly I didn’t think about it until heading to the mound in the 5th.
“The last thing you want to do as a pitcher is get in your own head, the best pitchers get into a rhythm without thinking about it.”
Perhaps no fielder had his back better than the one right in front of him. Playing his first game behind the plate since high school, Butcher-Nesbitt helped keep the Imperial hitters off-balance with his pitch-calling and produced the game’s highlight with a spectacular sliding catch of a foul pop to end the third inning.
Although it was hardly necessary, the offense kept rolling, racking up four more runs in the third, three in the fourth and two in the fifth. Leading the way at the plate was Dixon, who singled twice, walked twice and scored four runs in her final game for the squad. The performance represented a remarkable turnabout for Dixon, who is a softball player by trade and had difficulties tracking an overhand delivery during the season opener against Southampton.
