Iowa Cubs pitcher Chris Rusin carved out a piece of AAA history for himself on Wednesday, throwing a no-hitter on the road to beat New Orleans 3-0. Rusin did nearly all the work by himself in the game, hitting a two-run single to go along with pitching the team’s first no-hitter in 30 years.
Rusin missed a perfect game by the span of two walks and an error, but New Orleans never came close to mounting much of a threat against him. Every no-hitter needs a big defensive play, though, and Rusin got his on the very last out, as center fielder Matt Szczur made a diving catch on a shallow fly ball to end the game.
The no-hitter is the first for Iowa since 1984, when Reggie Patterson accomplished the feat. It’s the 145th no-no thrown in the history of the Pacific Coast League, and the 86th 9-inning no-hitter in that league.
The I-Cubs play two more games in New Orleans on Thursday and Friday, before returning home Saturday to open a four-game series against Nashville.
