Tanner MacLean is quick to credit his teammates for his first perfect game.
The Charlottetown Royals 11-year-old southpaw retired all 15 Sherwood Knights batters Tuesday in a five-inning 16-0 victory in mosquito AAA baseball action at City Diamond in Charlottetown.
“It was a good team effort. Everyone contributed,” MacLean told The Guardian. “The defence helped too. (There were) a few hard hit ground balls, they got the outs.”
It was the team’s first game of the season.
MacLean said he knew he had not allowed a hitter to reach base before he went out for the fifth inning, but he wasn’t getting ahead of himself.
“I was just focused on getting outs.”
He struck out the first two batters before the final hitter stepped up to the plate.
“He hit a hard line drive,” MacLean recalled.
First baseman Jacob Squires made the play to preserve the perfect game.
“It was a good feeling,” MacLean admitted.
Midway through the game there was another key defensive play.
“There was a little dribbler out in front of home plate and our catcher Brock MacDonald threw it down to first,” MacLean said. “It was a nice play.”
MacLean, who threw 53 pitches, estimated he had about eight strikeouts.
Baseball P.E.I. president Don Leclair said the feat shows MacLean’s command by not walking any batters and his teammates ability to make the plays behind him.
“It’s a tremendous achievement for kids that young,” he said.
A year ago, Ethan Craig threw a perfect game for the Knights in a bantam AA against the Royals.
“It’s certainly kind of unusual for two to happen so closely together,” Leclair said.
Baseball Canada doesn’t track perfect games across the country, other than at national championships.
There have only been 23 perfect games in Major League Baseball history with the most recent being thrown by Seattle’s Felix Hernandez on Aug. 15, 2012.
Tanner MacLean is quick to credit his teammates for his first perfect game.
The Charlottetown Royals 11-year-old southpaw retired all 15 Sherwood Knights batters Tuesday in a five-inning 16-0 victory in mosquito AAA baseball action at City Diamond in Charlottetown.
“It was a good team effort. Everyone contributed,” MacLean told The Guardian. “The defence helped too. (There were) a few hard hit ground balls, they got the outs.”
It was the team’s first game of the season.
MacLean said he knew he had not allowed a hitter to reach base before he went out for the fifth inning, but he wasn’t getting ahead of himself.
“I was just focused on getting outs.”
He struck out the first two batters before the final hitter stepped up to the plate.
“He hit a hard line drive,” MacLean recalled.
First baseman Jacob Squires made the play to preserve the perfect game.
“It was a good feeling,” MacLean admitted.
Midway through the game there was another key defensive play.
“There was a little dribbler out in front of home plate and our catcher Brock MacDonald threw it down to first,” MacLean said. “It was a nice play.”
MacLean, who threw 53 pitches, estimated he had about eight strikeouts.
Baseball P.E.I. president Don Leclair said the feat shows MacLean’s command by not walking any batters and his teammates ability to make the plays behind him.
“It’s a tremendous achievement for kids that young,” he said.
A year ago, Ethan Craig threw a perfect game for the Knights in a bantam AA against the Royals.
“It’s certainly kind of unusual for two to happen so closely together,” Leclair said.
Baseball Canada doesn’t track perfect games across the country, other than at national championships.
There have only been 23 perfect games in Major League Baseball history with the most recent being thrown by Seattle’s Felix Hernandez on Aug. 15, 2012.
