Mustangs' Mustangs' Daniel no- Pocatello no- By DAVE TRIMMER Of The Gazette Staff It wasn't perfect but it was close enough. Clay Daniel, who has had a perfect season, added a near perfect game, throwing a no-hitter Monday night at Cobb Field as the Billings Mustangs defeated the Pocatello Gems, 6-1, before 2,733 fans. Daniel, 22, raised his record to 7-0 with his third-straight complete game. The 5-10, 160-pound lefthander gave up a leadoff walk to Frank Klopp in the second inning for his only mistake. Klopp raced all the way to third on a sacrifice bunt by Shell Scott and scored on a long fly to center by John Lutz. The Mustangs, who have won 11 straight homes, are on the road for three games in Pocatello and two in Butte before returning to Cobb Field Sunday for their longest homestand of the season, six games against Idaho Falls and Medicine Hat. The last no-hitter in the Pioneer League was pitched by Pete Grimm of the Mustangs, who also walked one batter. Grimm threw his gem on Sept. 1, in the first game of last year's league playoffs. Daniel, who struck out 14, was unconcerned about the run that marred his game. "The guy laid down a good bunt," he explained. "Ruben (Machado, the third baseman) made a nice (barehanded) play. I looked at the guy and he never stopped. The sun was bad and Scott (Hilgenberg, the first baseman) had to concentrate. At that time hue laid gap the the just to M Gazette photo by Bob Zellar Clay Daniel throws one of his 106 pitches against Gems. of the game, you would like to leave him there (on third)." The Mustangs quickly got the run back in the third when Chuck Donadrew a one-out walk, Jon Groth down a bunt single and Darren Riley grounded a two-out single into right field. Daniel got all the runs he needed in the fourth when Hilgenberg and Mark Germann led off with singles and newcomer Chris Jones laced a double into the left-center for his first professional hit. The Mustangs added two more runs in inning and closed out the scoring with Tubby Pace's fourth homer of year, a line shot to right, in the eight. Jones, a third-round draft choice, signed with Cincinnati. The 18- -old third baseman from Liverpool, N.Y., decided to give up a chance to quarterback at Rutgers University. "I didn't know if I wanted play football or baseball. I knew baseball was what I wanted to do in the future so I might was well start now. I'm happy but I've got a lot to learn." After a long autograph session following his third no-hitter, Daniel said his last one was in the Valley League in 1981. "I had one walk there, too, that ruined my perfect game. Those walks will kill you every time." Daniel has given up two earned runs and struck out 36 in his last 27 innings, lowering his earned run average to 2.12. He had the Pocatello hitters off balance all night, striking out the side in the sixth and seventh and using just 106 pitches. "Once you start throwing your breaking pitches for strikes, they start looking for it," he said. "Then you can just sneak a fastball in on them. When you do that again, they don't know what to look for. I had them off-stride. I was throwing all my pitches for strikes, moving my fastball in and out, two kinds of changeups and throwing my curve ball at different speeds." Daniel went to Gulf Coast Community College in Panama City, Fla., after graduating from Sandalwood High School in Jacksonville. He went 18-2 and earned All-American honors in junior college before going on to the University of Florida. He was 10- 2 as a starter and 10-4 overall his senior year. Seattle drafted Daniel after his junior college career but he elected to pursue his education until selected by Cincinnati in the 20th round of the June draft. "You can't always count on baseball. When you can get your education paid for, I had to take it. I'm very education-oriented. Daniel needs 10 hours to complete his athletic administration degree, branching off in physiology, and 20 hours left in broadcasting. But he plans to pursue baseball all the way. Calm after his game, Daniel is just as nonchalant about his fast professional start. "My intention when I signed with the Reds was to come up here and win every game. I give 150 percent every time and I've been getting the breaks."
