Fort Worth Country Day pitcher continues strong season, tosses no-hitter

Junior Maddie Richey continued here dominant season, tossing a no-hitter while striking out 13, as the host Fort Worth Country Day Falcons defeated the THESA Riders, 3-0, in a non-league contest Tuesday.

“I was just trying to focus on one batter at a time,” said Richey, who has pitched every inning this season for the Falcons. “Our offense came around, and just happy with the win.”

Richey, a Boston College pledge, needed just 90 pitches to notch her first no-hitter this season. “Amazing feeling,” said Richey. “And a great job by everybody.”

“Just another great pitching performance by Maddie,” said Falcons head coach DeAnn Hall.

Neither team managed a base runner through the first four innings.

THESA managed to load the bases in the top of the fifth — a pair of Country Day errors along and Richey’s lone walk in the game. However, Richey escaped any further damage with an inning-ending strikeout.

In the bottom of the 5th inning, catcher Ryleigh Hall led off with a triple to center field (the first hit by either team), and scored on a bunt by Roeser Thomas.

“Just trying to get some offense started,” said Hall, a junior and Stephen F. Austin commit.

Then in the bottom of the 6th with one out, Richey doubled to left field. Charlotte Knight came in to run for Richey and Taylor Higgins reached on a fielder’s choice that moved Knight to third. Martha Linker grounded out to second base scoring Knight. Hall ripped a two-out double to left field scoring Higgins.

Richey opened the top of the seventh registering a strikeout. A Country Day error allowed the next hitter to reach base. But Richey recorded another strike out, and induced the final out on a pop up to the second baseman Samantha Miller and the celebration.

While Hall said the offense struggled, she was proud of how they held together.

“Our players were constantly talking to each other in the dugout about the next at bat, what to look for, and so on,” said Hall, in her 23rd season leading the program. “Love that kind of communication between the players.”

Richey (7-2) and the Falcons will be facing another tough opponent on Thursday in a non-SPC matchup at Dallas Christian, with first pitch slated for 5 pm. Dallas Christian, a TAPPS Division III team, is sporting an unblemished 6-0 record.

“That game will be a fun matchup,” said Hall. “Maddie and the Dallas Christian starting pitcher are teammates on the same club travel team in the summer, and that will make for an interesting battle.”

The 13 strikeouts against THESA gives Richey 130 in just 58 innings this season. The standout hurler is also just eight away from reaching 400 career strikeouts. Richey entered the THESA contest with a miniscule 0.27 ERA which will move even lower, having now surrendered just two earned runs in nine games this season.

Texas Home Educators Sports Association (THESA) pitcher Gracelyn Jones whiffed nine in six innings, as the Riders fell to 2-2 on the season.

THESA is a nonprofit sports team providing competitive athletic opportunities to homeschool students in DFW, and is based in Colleyville.

This story was originally published April 7, 2026 at 11:59 PM.