20 February 2023
TOPEKA (KSNT)- Two Topeka natives are on fire in the pitching circle as college softball season gets underway.
Topeka High grad Nija Canady and Washburn Rural alumna Kasey Hamilton are off to quite the start in their 2023 campaigns.
Canady, a freshman at Stanford, already has her first career no-hitter. The former Lady Trojan threw a five inning no-hitter against Liberty in just the second college outing of her career. She has three complete game shutouts in her first four starts for the Cardinal.
Canady has not allowed a single earned run in 22 innings pitched to start her college career.
Also off to a stellar start in the 2023 softball season is Kasey Hamilton. Hamilton, a KU junior, started off somewhat rocky. She allowed a combined 10 earned runs in her first two outings of 2023. However, in two starts since then she has been sensational.
The WRHS product tallied two wins in three days, and came just one out short of notching back to back complete games. Hamilton went the distance on Thursday, Feb. 16 against Cal St. Fullerton, striking out eight. On Saturday, Feb. 18, Hamilton threw 6.2 innings and struck out eight more.
Hamilton isn’t the only local star playing well for KU softball. Another Washburn Rural graduate, Olivia Bruno, is hitting .300 and slugging .800 through nine games. Bruno has six hits, including three home runs, in her first 20 at-bats of the season.
Also, Manhattan High School graduate Haleigh Harper is making an impact for the Jayhawks. The senior shortstop knocked in a run with a walk-off single on Friday, Feb. 17 to help Kansas beat Liberty.
KU softball is 6-4 to start the year.