Daniel Virtue, a junior, threw a perfect game in a 10-0 shutout against Molalla in Sweet Home High School baseball on the road March 29.
The Huskies won the game in five innings under the 10-run rule.
Virtue faced 15 batters, striking out five. No batters reached first base.
“It was fun to watch him, and when our defense did have to make plays behind him, they were perfect,” said Coach Dan Tow. “We broke the game open with some big hits in the fourth inning and ended up scoring 10 runs to finish the game early. I thought we handled the bats well, ran the bases very well and just played a great game.”
Justin Tow had three hits and scored three runs. Brandon Keenon and Keanu Aiona each had two hits including a double for each. Aiona also had four RBIs, and Austin.
James hit a run-scoring triple. Virtue had one hit.
Sweet Home scored a run out of the gate and then seven more in the fourth inning.
The Huskies scored their final two runs in the fifth inning.
“We played well in all facets of the game, but Danny’s perfect game was certainly the story of the game and a huge highlight,” Tow said.
Sweet Home High School Athletic Director Steve Brown said that to his knowledge that hasn’t been done in more than 30 years.
“The perfect game, we’ve never had one of those in the years I’ve been here,” Tow said. “That just doesn’t happen very often in high school baseball.”
He has been here for 26 years, he said, and he asked others who have been here longer. None of them recalled another perfect game.
The Huskies finished out the week beating Salem Academy at home on Thursday.
“We played really, really well,” Tow said. “It’s been fun. Our pitchers have been throwing really well, our hitters have been hitting the ball.”
Sweet Home 100 72 – 10 9 0
Molalla 000 00 – 0 0 1
The Huskies beat Salem Academy 14-4 under the 10-run rule in five innings.
“We had a lot of big hits tonight, including two home runs, a triple and two doubles,” Tow said. “Keanu Aiona had a grand slam home run and one of the doubles, and
Brandon Keenon had a solo home run.”
Aiona had four hits, and Justin Tow, Virtue and Kobe Olson each had two hits.
Desmond Ely, Nick Marler and Tyler Plebuch each had a hit.
“Devin Stafford pitched extremely well, scattering four hits in four innings of work, striking out four and giving up only one run that was unearned.”
The Huskies got down early, trailing 1-0 at the end of the second, but responded with nine runs in the bottom of the inning. The huskies added a run in the third and three more in the fourth.
Salem Academy scored three more in the fifth, and the Huskies added one more in the bottom of the inning to win the game.
“Salem Academy had some kids that could swing the bat pretty well, but our pitching was very effective and our hitters did a great job of driving in runs,” Tow said.
The Huskies extended their record to 6-2 and were scheduled to host Elmira on Monday. They travel to Sisters on Wednesday and Sutherlin on Friday.
Salem Academy 010 03 – 4 6 2
Sweet Home 091 31 – 14 13 2