There were no big hits Sunday in Clearwater`s 1-0 victory over Winter Haven in the Class-A Florida State League. In fact, there were no hits at all. In what appeared to be the first professional baseball game in 40 years without a hit, Andy Carter and the Clearwater Phillies beat Scott Bakkum and the Winter Haven Red Sox. The only run scored in the seventh inning on two walks and two sacrifice bunts.
Minor-league records are incomplete, and it was uncertain how many times there has been a game with no hits. But on Aug. 20, 1952, in the New York-Penn League, Frank Echtberger of Bradford, Pa., beat Jim Mitchell of Batavia, N.Y., 1-0 in nine innings of a double no-hitter.
The closest thing to a complete double no-hitter in the majors was on May 2, 1917, when Cincinnati`s Fred Toney and the Cubs` Hippo Vaughn each pitched nine hitless innings. The Reds won 1-0 in the the 10th with two hits off Vaughn, while Toney finished without allowing a hit.
Carter (3-4) struck out four, walked two and hit a batter in nine innings for the Philadelphia Phillies` affiliate. Bakkum (1-2) struck out three and walked three in eight innings.
Carter pitched the second no-hitter of his career.
