Jeannette’s Grace Stein records 2nd straight no-hitter, eclipses 500 career K’s in win vs. Leechburg

By: Dave Mackall
Friday, May 2, 2025 | 9:28 PM

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Calling it “a really good accomplishment,” Jeannette right-hander Grace Stein tossed her second consecutive no-hitter Friday and sixth of her career while reaching 500 career strikeouts as the third-ranked Jayhawks beat visiting Leechburg, 10-0, in a WPIAL Section 3-A softball game reduced to six innings by a 10-run rule.

Jeannette (8-4, 7-1), which won for the eighth time in nine games, broke through in the fifth with seven runs against Leechburg junior Adalyn Zanotto, who was locked in a duel with Stein through four scoreless innings.

“She had our number for a while,” Jeannette coach Tubby Stein said. “The girls were chasing everything. I finally got them together and said, ‘Hey, look, you stop chasing those high pitches. Make her throw you a strike. As soon as they started doing that, they started hitting the ball.”

A three-run sixth for Jeannette against senior reliever Trinity Kimble pushed the lead to 10 runs with two outs to end the game.

Stein, a junior, struck out 16, including the first eight batters and 10 of 11. She allowed just two baserunners, both on walks.

“I just try to stay humble and work on each batter as they come,” she said.

Stein, in the midst of her third varsity season, ended the game with a total of 501 career strikeouts.

“I was trying to get it today,” she said.

Her 16 strikeouts were two shy of a career-high 18 in an 8-5 victory in the first game of a doubleheader sweep of Greensburg Central Catholic on April 23. She followed with 15 strikeouts in a 4-1 victory in the second game.

Her latest no-hitter gives Stein six for her career.

As a freshman in 2023, she recorded three no-hitters and one perfect game, a 16-0, four-inning victory over Monessen.

Stein added another no-hitter last season as a sophomore.

“She’s effective and throws lot of strikes,” said Leechburg assistant Jeff Moschetta, who was leading the team in coach Chris Fabec’s absence.

Fabec was coaching an 11-and-under girls travel team that included both men’s daughters in a game in West Newton.

The loss denied Leechburg (7-5, 5-3) a WPIAL-record 38th consecutive playoff berth. The Blue Devils need one more victory or a Monessen loss to secure the record.

Leechburg faces Jeannette on Monday and Monessen on Tuesday.

Sophomore Gianna Casino led five Jeannette players with two hits apiece, driving in three runs and scoring a pair, as the Jayhawks rapped out 11 hits.

Abby Shaw drove in two runs with a double during Jeannette’s seven-run fifth.

Tags: Jeannette, Leechburg