Millis softball pitcher Riley Caulfield throws no-hitter & drills 100th hit at Bellingham
BELLINGHAM – Riley Caulfield casually flipped the softball to Millis catcher Emilia Leach.
"How's your day going Emilia?" the senior pitcher asked between the top and bottom of the third inning of Wednesday's game at Bellingham, like she does at every change over before throwing her warm up pitches.
"That's a superstition I started a few years ago, then I just kept going," Caulfield said. "If I had a bad at bat or my catcher had a bad at bat, it gets the next half inning or next inning started on a better foot, and everybody's happier, and the vibe just gets picked up a little bit."
Though she asks asks routinely, Caulfield also wonders genuinely. They could be talking in the halls or at lunch rather than between home plate and the circle. She cares about the answer even if she just heard one a few minutes ago. Catching, like pitching, can isolate. Caulfield seeks connection, not just with her catcher but with Millis' entire team.
"When everyone's on the fence cheering, you have your little inside jokes and superstitions," Caulfield said. "At times it feels like it can be solo or all on you, but having your whole team behind you, I love that."
'She gets it'
She started pitching in Little League and took to it, even as she sampled other positions at the club level and at Millis. Millis coach Brett McGowan put her at shortstop for a time last season. He told her that she might play some first base this year. Caulfield responded excitedly that she'd never played first before.
"She'll play anywhere, anywhere you want to put her," McGowan said. "She's the perfect softball player to coach. She gets it."
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But Caulfield is most dangerous in the circle. She was named a Tri-Valley League all-star each of her first three seasons. That required piling up statistics. McGowan knew where she stood entering this season in proximity to major milestones but didn't mention it.
Then Caulfield punched out nine Bristol County batters on Friday to register her 500th strikeout.
"I honestly didn't know I was near that. I had no idea, I don't really keep track of it," Caulfield said. "I would have gotten in my head if I did keep track. I try to just go out there and do as much as I can and then know my team is behind me."
She also registered her 99th career hit. McGowan didn't mention it before Wednesday's game against Bellingham.
He's superstitious and didn't want to mess with his pitcher's routine.
She puts on her uniform the same way every time. Caulfield drinks a green tea Celsius energy drink before every game and takes four sips from a wide-mouthed red Gatorade between every inning. She eats a Dunkin' bagel before every game and listens to the same songs like Taylor Swift's "You're on Your Own Kid," Carly Simon's "You're So Vain" and "Wide Open Spaces" and "Cowboy Take Me Away" by The Chicks. After every out, she executed a coordinated move with either Leach or her whole team. They're practiced but keep everyone involved.
"I have all my superstitions that make me feel more confident going in there," Caulfield said.
Milestones aplenty
Whether it was the Celcius, Taylor Swift or the hours of practice, she stayed dialed in. Caulfield slapped hit No. 100 with an RBI single in the top of the third inning. She was more focused on advancing to second on the throw home and looked confused when McGowan tracked down the game ball. Caulfield finished with three hits and three RBIs in a 7-0 win.
"It's awesome, her energy really rubs off on everyone. She's such a team player," fellow senior Isabelle Jewett said. "Even if she makes mistakes, she helps everybody else up. She really is there for everybody else and makes sure that everybody is confident and knows what they're doing."
Even with the milestone secured, Caulfield stayed dialed in on the mound. She struck out 13 Blackhawks and in a no-hitter, finishing it with a ranging over-the-shoulder catch in the bottom of the seventh inning. The senior walked three in the bottom of the fourth inning but ended the threat with two strikeouts. An error in the seventh was Bellingham's only other baserunner.
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"I said to her in the dugout, did you have any idea?" McGowan said.
"Maybe a little," Caulfield responded.
No one told her.
Contact Kyle Grabowski at kgrabowski@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @kylegrbwsk.
This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Millis pitcher Riley Caulfield throws no-hitter and notches 100th hit
