Senior pitcher Travis Enbody became just the seventh Centurion in Saugus High School baseball history to throw a no-hitter in Saturday’s 3-0 home win over the Burbank Bulldogs.
Enbody went unscathed throughout his seven innings of work, fanning eight Bulldogs with five walks.
The senior wasn’t even slated to pitch against Burbank (9-5) and found out just hours before the game that he’d get his first start of the season. Freshman Parker Allman was set to start but was sick, clearing the start for Enbody.
“In my mind, I kind of had a feeling I was gonna be pitching, either starting or relieving, but I was kinda nervous a little because it was my first start on the mound this year,” Enbody said in a phone interview.
Enbody dueled with Burbank pitcher Jimmy Cafferty, who also pitched a gem, allowing four hits with 12 strikeouts.
Saugus (5-15) managed to jump on Cafferty in the second after Derek Hughes knocked in two runs with an RBI single.
Centurion senior Zach Plasschaert later brought in one more run with an RBI single to give Enbody as much run support as possible.
Enbody was on and continued to throw hard throughout his start.
“He’s pitched before so it wasn’t something foreign,” said Saugus head coach Carl Grissom in a phone interview. “He just seemed to have it. I’ve been part of no hitters and games that have come close. People stop talking about what’s going on and I looked down at the book in the fifth and saw he hadn’t allowed a hit. I just put it to the back of my head.”
Enbody had a pitch count of close to 100 but fought to stay in to finish the game in the seventh. The senior registered a one-three groundout after the Burbank leadoff hitter bunted. Enbody then had the no-no saved by junior Ethan Harris, who made a diving catch in center field for the second out.
“I realized I was throwing one in about the fifth inning and kind of put it to the back of my head and tried not to think about it,” Enbody said. “The last inning it got very nerve-wracking. I had only 12 pitches to work with and with one out in the seventh they hit a blooper into shallow center but our center fielder Ethan Harris made a spectacular catch to save the no-hitter.”
The pitcher then closed out the game with a strikeout to secure Saugus’ seventh no-hitter in program history.
Enbody had never been on a team with a no-hitter, let alone throw one himself.
“I felt really good throughout the game,” Enbody said. “My arm never got tired and it just felt good the entire time. I was hitting my spots and for the most part if I missed it was just barely or the umpire didn’t give me the call. There were more fly-outs than groundouts but for the most part weak contact.”
The senior etched himself in the Saugus history books and hopefully on the mound more this season, where Grissom will take all the arms he can get.
It’s been a struggle of a season so far but Enbody’s no-no could be a swing of momentum for the Centurions.
Saugus enters its league bye week and will head to Alemany on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.
