LSU senior pitcher Maribeth Gorsuch threw a perfect game on Saturday, the first-ever 7-inning perfect game in Tigers program history. The fourth-year hurler’s perfection in the circle was backed by four runs from her offense in a game that LSU won by that final score, 4-0.
After the game, Gorsuch said in an LSU release, “It’s amazing but I have to give all of the credit to my catcher, my teammates, and my coaches. Without their support none of this would be possible, we work hard day in and day out. The pitching staff was amazing this weekend, nothing beats the support from them.”
Gorsuch’s perfect game capped off an also-perfect weekend from the Tigers; the team went 5-0 on the week, outscoring their opponents 55-4 with four shutouts. Now, let’s go inside the numbers on Gorsuch’s perfection.
16 – The number of strikeouts that Gorsuch recorded on the night, a career high. At one point in the game, she struck out eight batters in a row.
13 – The amount of Gorsuch’s strikeouts that were accomplished with a swing-and-a-miss for strike three. Gorsuch had the Bruins swinging from their heels throughout the game.
21 – The number of first-pitch strikes thrown by Gorsuch. Every hitter she faced began their at-bat down in the count. Only one Belmont hitter recorded an out on the first pitch of her at-bat, popping out to Gorsuch in the circle.
81 – The amount of pitches thrown by Gorsuch in the endeavor. She never threw more than fifteen pitches in an inning.
20 – The number of pitches called as balls in the game. Less than 1/4 of Gorsuch’s pitches were called as being outside of the strike zone.
1 – The amount of balls that reached the outfield while Gorsuch was in the circle; the lone outlier, a 5th-inning flyout to left field by Belmont’s Molly Porter.
1,535 – The number of fans in attendance to witness Gorsuch’s perfection, per LSU’s official postgame count.
