Pistorese's perfect game a rare feat for state

Joe Pistorese may be in a league of his own after last week.

So far the history books aren’t showing anything to prove otherwise.

The 17-year-old Kalispell Laker lefty is believed to be the first player in Montana to throw a perfect game in a very long time. Pistorese used 109 pitches to strike out 14 batters and account for no hits or walks as the Lakers (13-5) beat the Twins (10-17) 8-0 in nine innings on May 25.

According to James Quinlan, the national director of American Legion baseball, Pistorese is the only player to throw a perfect game under his watch.

“I have been nation director since 1986 and no player has thrown a perfect game in my tenure. To my knowledge this is the first perfect game tossed in legion baseball (in that time period),” Quinlan wrote in a recent e-mail to the Inter Lake.

George Haegele, who took over as the Montana chairman the same year, agrees.

“Neither of us have ever heard of one,” Haegele said.

American Legion baseball was founded in 1925 and came to Montana three years later.

On Wednesday, Kalispell and Glacier met again but there was only enough time for the Twins to reach base once.

Cody Elek laid down a bunt in the wet grass at Griffin Field and reached base safely, ending a run of 31-straight Twins outs against the Lakers. Elek’s bunt was the final play of the game as rain followed shortly after and forced a cancellation in the top of the second inning with the score tied 0-0.

Pistorese, a junior at Flathead High, appears to have achieved something even former Montana greats like Dave McNally and Jeff Ballard never did.

McNally, who was named Montana’s Athlete of the Century, played legion baseball in Billings from 1958-60 before moving on to the major leagues and winning 184 games. In his legion years, he had no-hitters, including back-to-back ones in the state tournament, but it’s believed that McNally never threw a perfect game in legion baseball.

Ballard has been chairman of the legion program in his hometown since 1996, when he retired from the major leagues after pitching for six years. Ballard, who had a successful career for the Billings Scarlets but never earned better than a no-hitter from 1979-82, echoed what others from across the state have said, that Pistorese’s perfect game is a very rare accomplishment.

“I’ve never even seen one in person, not in legion, in college or in the pros,” Ballard said.

“It’s a difficult thing to do at any level. That’s an impressive feat. I guarantee (Pistorese) will always remember it.”

Just last weekend in Vauxhall, Alberta, Joel Lutz of the Medicine Hat Moose Monarchs threw a perfect game in seven innings in a 1-0 victory against the Calgary Cubs.

The perfect game has been somewhat of a common occurrence recently in the major leagues as two have been thrown so far this season and another was just missed on Wednesday night.

But a recent survey of baseball minds in Montana couldn’t find a nine-inning gem quite like Pistorese’s in legion baseball.

Not yet, at least.

Reporter Dillon Tabish can be reached at 758-4463 or by e-mail at dtabish@dailyinterlake.com