Pittsburgh-Area HS Pitcher Pitches 2 Perfect Games In A Row
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – The bus from Serra Catholic High School arrived at Derry High School Tuesday afternoon carrying a pitcher people have been reading about all over the country in USA Today.
Zach Bowen, 16, is pretty unassuming about all the attention, but the fact is, he pitched perfect games in two consecutive starts.
"It came out of all of a sudden. Honest, I didn't expect it at all," said Bowen.
After the first perfecto, his teammates were playful as the next start approached.
"On the way down to the field, they were joking with me, saying how it could be repeated," said Bowen. "I was just blowing it off like everyone was joking to me. I didn't expect it at all."
But it happened with a score of 17-0 over Clairton and the same score over Geibe. Both games were called after five innings for the mercy rule.
While this may all sound like a "Bull Durham" cliché, Bowen is genuine.
"It wouldn't be possible without my teammates," he says. "There were a couple nice plays made by Neil Hartnet, Nate Pianca, Anthony Alexander, without that, it wouldn't have happened."
Catcher Jake Eged says it's nerve-racking playing in a perfect game.
"By around the third or fourth inning and you think, 'Oh geez,' and then the ball comes to you and you don't want to mess up for the guy on the mound or for your teammates," Eged says. "To be a part of something so special, we'll always remember this."
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"I'm as amazed as the kids are and Zach is," coach Brian Dzurenda says.
Dzurenda says the phone has been busy with folks wanting to know when Bowen will pitch next to go for three in a row. But the answer may be disappointing because the WPIAL playoffs are next week and the team comes first.
"We're trying to pitch all our pitchers at this point. Whe idea of him going a full game is not going to happen," Dzurenda said.
And that is okay with Bowen who also plays the infield.
"I like playing second base; I prefer playing second," he says.
