Mikkelsen throws no-hitter in Lancaster
by Mike Ashmore
June 22, 2006 - Hunterdon County Democrat

LANCASTER, PA - "I felt my heart pumping through my chest, and I was excited. Once it happened, the whole place erupted."

And that's just what Atlantic City Surf manager Jeff Ball had to say, so imagine what it was like for his pitcher Lincoln Mikkelsen to throw the third no-hitter in Atlantic League history at Lancaster's Clipper Magazine Stadium on Friday.

5,815 fans packed the house to watch history unfold before their eyes, as the 38-year-old right hander faced just two more than the minimum, walking four batters and striking out five.

"Honestly, I thought about it in the fourth," Mikkelsen said. "I thought it would be cool to get into the seventh or eighth with it."

Even though he was thinking about it as early as the fourth, he wasn't sure it would happen a few innings earlier.

"I had doo-doo in the second and the third," he said. "It really wasn't good, I was missing and I was overstriding. I was really flustered out there, but they helped me out and they missed some pitches."

Mikkelsen is no stranger to no-hitters, with this being the second in his professional career and his fifth overall.

"If you count high school, I had back-to-back-to-back (no-hitters)," he said.

Mikkelsen, who also doubles as the Surf's pitching coach, said that this particular no-hitter was different than his previous four.

"There were more walks," he said. "In the other ones, I don't think I walked anybody."

The Ducks Rod Henderson threw the first no-hitter in league history on May 25, 2001 and was followed by the Bears Joe Gannon more than three years later on August 17, 2004.

But the third one almost never happened, as it appeared Travis Hake reached on a bunt single in the fourth. But after the umpires conferred, Hake was ruled out after the ball hit him outside of the batters box on his way to first. That's as close as the Barnstormers would get to rattling the 2003 Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year.

This was the first no-hitter thrown in Clipper Magazine Stadium, in its second season of existence.

As the game wore on, with the Surf staking Mikkelsen to a slim 1-0 lead on a third inning RBI groundout by Todd Leathers, the right-hander claims he didn't tense up at all.

"I was more aggressive, actually," Mikkelsen said. "I probably had better stuff in seven, eight and nine than I did early in the game."

For Mikkelsen's catcher on the evening, 25-year-old Australia native John MacLeod, this was the first no-hitter he'd ever caught.

"It's probably the most thrilling thing that's ever happened to me in baseball," MacLeod said. "He pitched a great game, he deserves all the credit. He's probably the hardest working guy I've ever (seen) in professional baseball."

Ball, in his third year as Surf skipper, also got to experience his first no-hitter as a manager.

"I'm just so happy for him," Ball said. "This guy's a workhorse, he's a bulldog. He wants the ball in pressure situations, and he delivered today. MacLeod called a great game for him, and those guys were in sync. It was great."

It's tradition to leave a pitcher with a no-hitter or perfect game in the works alone, and that stayed true to form in the visiting dugout tonight, as nary a word was said to Mikkelsen as the game went into its later stages.

"It was very quiet in the dugout, everybody knew what was going on," Ball said. "He just bared down and made great pitches all night. It was great to be a part of."

Even the opposition got a thrill out of the historic occasion.

"This was the first one I've ever seen live," said Lancaster pitcher Scott Sobkowiak, who's been playing professional baseball since 1998.

The no-hitter overshadowed the performance of Barnstormers pitcher Cameron Smith, who struck out eight batters to establish a new season high for Lancaster pitchers. The former Patriot has been hampered by a cut on his finger which affects his ability to grip the ball correctly.

But clearly, the man of the hour was Mikkelsen.

"I'm just glad I could be a part of it," MacLeod said. "It just goes to show that hard work pays off."

For Exclusive No-Hitter Audio and Video: atlanticleaguebaseball.com

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