Matthew Crownover was in total control on Saturday night as he tossed the first no-hitter in Class A Advanced Potomac history in a 7-0 victory against Lynchburg.
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Crownover, a Nationals farmhand, struck out three batters and faced four over the minimum in the outing, issuing three walks and hitting one batter while throwing 68 of his 110 pitches for strikes. It was the 25-year-old right-hander's first complete game and shutout in 70 career starts.
After a second-inning walk, he retired 10 straight before hitting a batter. He quickly got back into rhythm and retired 11 straight. Crownover didn't permit two baserunners in the same inning until the ninth, when he issued both a one- and two-out walk to prompt a mound visit. He needed just two pitches to record the final out, inducing a popout to the second baseman to seal the no-hitter.
Crownover has thrown the ball well over his last seven outings, posting a 1.45 ERA in 31 innings while making four starts and three relief appearances. He's been especially sharp since he rejoined Potomac's rotation on Aug. 8, registering a 1.13 ERA in 24 innings.
For the season, Crownover, a sixth-round pick in the 2015 Draft out of Clemson, has pitched to a 4.46 ERA over 113 innings in the Carolina League.