High School Pitcher Throws Rare "Perfect" Perfect Game

Looking out across the Taxonomy of Single Perfect Game Excellence, you'd find the only feat rarer than throwing a perfect game is a "perfect" perfect game: No batter reaches base and every out is recorded by strikeout. That's a club that Kate Upton wouldn't let Philip Humber into, but she would let in Stonington High junior Andrea Chiaradio, who struck out all 21 batters she faced last Saturday in a 3-0 win. She's believed to be only the second girl in Connecticut high school history to accomplish such a feat.

Amazingly, Chiaradio isn't some Jennie Finch phenom in the making. (At least, not yet.) This was her first career high school no-hitter:

"I probably was aware of it in about the fifth inning when a few of the girls on the bench said something about it when we were at bat. I knocked on wood. I tried not to think about it and not to psyche myself out. I just concentrated on getting the rest of the outs.

"I had a few 3-2 counts so that was close. And they tried bunting a few times, but they either fouled it off or just couldn't get it down.

"The last batter was left-handed and fouled a few pitches off. I got kind of nervous. Then I threw a fast ball on the outside corner for the last strike and it was all over.

"Everyone on our team was giving me hugs. The crowd stood up and cheered for me. The umpires congratulated me and said I did well. And the NFA players and coaches were really nice. I'll celebrate with some of my friends. And I'll keep throwing and try to do as well as I can."

Here's a highlight video she put together showing off her impressive skills. I'm guessing she won't have a problem landing a scholarship now.

[ Westerly Sun]