TURLOCK -- For a program boasting more than 1,000 wins, two national championships and numerous All-Americans over its 48-year history, Cal State Stanislaus baseball somehow never has produced one of the game's magic moments — a no-hitter.
Until Saturday afternoon.
Senior right-hander Andrew Graham pitched a game for the Warrior history books, a seven-inning no-hitter as Stanislaus won 3-0 to complete a doubleheader sweep over Cal State Dominguez Hills.
Fittingly, Graham took care of the final out himself by fielding a slow roller and throwing out the Toros' Spencer Maxey.
"Coming into today, I didn't even know I was going to start," Graham said later.
The no-hitter shocked observers on several fronts. For starters, Stanislaus (7-19, 4-15) carried a 10-game losing streak into Saturday's doubleheader and had struggled for most of the season.
So had Graham (1-1), a Shingle Springs product and a graduate of Ponderosa High and American River. He carried an 8.16 ERA into the game, with opponents hitting .431 against him in eight appearances.
"I've been hit around a little bit, but I've just never lost confidence with my pitches," he said. "I came into the game confident, even though I've been getting hit."
Graham missed perfection by three walks and a hit batsman. He walked the Toros' third batter of the game, so perfect-game pressure wasn't an issue. He went on to retire nine in a row before he beaned first baseman Chris Allen with two outs in the fourth.
The Stanislaus pitcher issued single walks in the sixth and seventh innings, but he never allowed a runner to reach second base. He struck out four.
As with most no-hitters, Graham also benefited from sparkling defense. Center fielder Ross Gonsalves sprinted into the gap and robbed Dominguez Hills' Carlos Avila by making a high-flying, diving catch just short of the warning track in the fifth.
"I didn't think he'd get to it, but he did," Graham said.
Another unexpected hero emerged on offense. Colt McLaughlin, who came in batting .100 in 15 games, stroked a two-out RBI double to right-center field in the second inning and later added an insurance run with a sacrifice fly in the sixth.
Clint Brill caught all seven innings of Graham's masterpiece and also had two hits.
Stanislaus generated momentum during the day's first game by rallying from a 4-0 deficit to win 8-4. A six-run seventh, featuring RBIs by Matt Chaidez (3-for-4) and Gonsalves, brought the losing streak to an end.
Rafael Vasquez (1-3) went 7ª innings for the win despite walking 11. Joey Machado was 2 for 4 and drove in two.
The series concludes today with a single game at Warrior Field at 11 a.m.
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