APEX - Having already thrown a no-hitter against Apex in an earlier Tri-Nine Conference softball matchup, Holly Springs pitcher Erica Nunn knew it would be tough to have that kind of success in Tuesday’s rematch.

With one Apex batter in mind, Nunn added a pitch to her arsenal. And her performance against the Cougars stayed the same.

Nunn’s sixth no-hitter of the season, and second against Apex in as many tries, spearheaded the Golden Hawks’ 6-0 road victory. The Cougars are no slouches either – currently alone in third place in the conference and on track for a home playoff game.

“This past week I picked up the drop-ball,” said Nunn, a junior left-hander currently leading the Triangle in strikeouts per game. “That really helped to get (Apex shortstop) Sam (Slade) because Sam can hit to forever.”

Slade, a senior all-state performer from a year ago and UNC Charlotte commit, gave Nunn a scare in their last game on a hard-hit ball that barely went foul. Slade still reached base twice in the game – on an error and a walk – but the effect of Nunn’s new pitch kept all but one ball in the infield.

“Adding a drop-ball is helping because it makes her hit it to the ground so my defense can work,” Nunn said.

The Golden Hawks made sure to give Nunn plenty of support.

In the second inning, Holly Springs got on the board with a RBI single by Kayla Minyard. In the third, the Hawks capitalized on a botched run-down by Apex.

With Jenna Firestein caught between second and third base, the Cougars’ fifth throw went into right field, allowing Firestein to advance all the way home.

Apex changed pitchers from Ashley Winters to Lindsay Hodge in the fifth. Hodge worked two scoreless innings before Holly Springs (15-1, 13-1) tagged her for four runs in the seventh on a two-RBI double by Kristen Krebs, an RBI sacrifice fly by Nunn and a RBI single by Alexis Hamel.

“Something we’ve struggled with all year was leaving runners on base and tonight we were able to help [Nunn] out and our girls came through,” Holly Springs coach Jill Minchik said.

Apex dropped to 10-5 overall and 8-5 in the conference, but the defending conference champs still have a home playoff game to play for if it can hold its position in the conference standings.

“We didn’t have as many strikeouts but we still didn’t put it in play enough times to beat a team like that,” Apex coach Bonnie Hodge said. “We have three games left – if we win out I think we’ll finish in third place.”