GREEN THROWS FIRST CAREER NO-HITTER

Northside junior pitcher Sydney Green had no idea what she just accomplished when the Lady Bears played Little Rock Central on April 18. When it was over, though, a 7-0 Northside win, Green suddenly realized that she had just thrown a no-hitter, the first of her career. “I didn’t even realize it was a no-hitter until after the game was over, because throughout the game, I worry about the next pitch, next strike, next out,” Green, named the Times Record’s Athlete of the Week, said. “I was really excited and proud of myself finding out I threw a no-hitter. I got a lot of praise and congratulations for it, and it was shocking to me because it was my very first time throwing a no-hitter.” Green threw a total of 83 pitches in the win, 55 going for strikes. She also struck out nine. Related Past Athlete of the Week honorees “I have been perfecting my rise balls, which I throw in when I get ahead of the pitch count, and I also throw some off-speed pitches to get the batter off-balance,” Green. Green also had an impact at the plate in her no-hitter. She went 3-for-4 with a double, triple and a run scored. Her no-hitter came exactly one week after she threw a one-hit shutout in a 3-0 win against Southside. “The one-hitter against Southside was great as well, because they’re our biggest rivalry and we wanted that win,” Green said. “But even with my one-hitter and no-hitter, I couldn’t do it without the help of my team, because sometimes when my corner pitches are not working, I throw it down the middle and let my defense work and back me up. They are a huge help to me.” Green also threw a five-inning shutout earlier this month against Hackett at the Siloam Springs Tournament. Then on Monday, she allowed one hit through the first five innings in a 10-4 win at Mount St. Mary, which allowed Northside to improve to 4-6 in 7A-Central play and move even closer to a spot at next month’s 7A State Tournament. “The secret for my pitching here lately has been adjusting to the umpires’ strike zone,” Green said. “I usually figure it out within the first and second innings of the game.” Green, who also plays basketball and volleyball at Northside, suffered an ACL injury as a sophomore. She was able to come back to play softball midway through her sophomore season, but Green said she was still hesitant at times because of the injury. “Last year, as I had to sit out half the season of my sophomore year, I was sad not being able to play the sport I love,” she said. “When I was able to return for the next half of play, I was giving about 70 to 75 percent because I was scared to re-injure my knee and I was going soft and being careful, because a lot of people don’t realize how pitching requires a lot of legs. “The left knee that I tore is the knee I use to stride with, it gives your pitch some speed, and when I came back, I was very timid. I was not straightening my knee and keeping it bent, and that was stopping some of my speed, but during the summer, I worked out and pitched summer ball. Also, the other sports I play have helped strengthen my knee and now I have more confidence in pitching and not worrying about my knee hurting.”

GREEN THROWS FIRST CAREER NO-HITTER

Photo Credit: Northside Athletics

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