CCD soph’s perfect game her 3rd career no-hitter

INDIAN HILL – Drivers of the Queen City can go ahead and offer a collective sigh of relief.

Cincinnati Country Day sophomore Missy Dieckman-Meyer - one day after her third career no-hitter and first perfect game for CCD April 22 - promised she wouldn’t drive as a fast as she pitches a softball.

Not that Dieckman-Meyer - an Amelia resident just a few lessons short of getting her driver’s license - is reckless in her speed. Far from it. She has enough control with her fastball, curve, screwball, changeup, riser, drop ball and drop curve to lead the Miami Valley Conference in strikeouts.

She started playing softball at age 4 and began pitching at age 7 when the game shifted from coach-pitch to players throwing, throwing her arm up to volunteer for the job with no recollection as to why when the request for prospective pitchers came.

With the possible exception of opposing batters, nobody regretted the choice.

“On different days, different things become the best pitch,” said CCD head coach Scott Leman said. “The thing that separates Missy is she can throw any of them consistently for strikes and it’s just matter of what’s working best for her that day. A sophomore in high school having command of all of her pitches like that is remarkable. We’re enjoying the fruits of her hard work as coaches and teammates.”

The 9-0 perfect game against Lockland was less about enjoyment and more about business.

“There was not a lot of talk,” Leman said. “(Assistant coach and athletic director Theresa) Hirsch(auer) and I knew, but we didn’t say anything to her. I’m sure in her mind - as a competitor - she knew what was going on, but it was pretty quiet. She’s such a humble kid; she’d never call attention to it herself.”

Dieckman-Meyer said she did know she had a perfecto going and had only one thought as she took the mound in the seventh inning to finish it.

“Three outs,” she said.

Dieckman-Meyer said she would like to keep piling up enough outs to play college softball some day. And while she has plenty of time to decide, she’d like to go somewhere in the southern USA and study either physical therapy or veterinary medicine.

“I’d have to say she has a strong desire to compete,” Leman said. “She was good last year, but the difference between last year and this year is night and day. If she can continue on this path of improvement from year to year, she could be really, really good, a definite college prospect.”

Not only does Dieckman-Meyer control the game on the mound, she resides among the MVC leaders in batting average, homers and runs batted in.

She helped the Indians improve to 5-2 (4-0 and first place in the MVC) with a 5-4 win over Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy April 23. Dieckman-Meyer not only struck out 12 - including the last three outs of the game with the tying run on base - but also went 3-for-4, clouted two home runs and drove in four.

“I work hard at both, but I’d rather win a game with my arm,” she said. “The fact that you can control the game (as a pitcher) is what I like. That and just being out here with all the girls, playing.”

Online Extra

For video of Missy Dieckman-Meyer in action, please visit