In sports, there are several ways to measure greatness. It could be the number of championship rings, a spectacular moment, or even an athlete's bank account. What Mahopac High School softball pitcher Shannon Becker did is in a league of its own.
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Spare the chatter about softball versus baseball for another day. The feat the sophomore pitcher accomplished in May 2019 should be appreciated. Becker threw a perfect game, but did it in incredibly rare fashion. She struck out all 21 batters she faced in the seven-inning New York high school game.
It's truly the perfect perfect game.
‼️Becker is PERFECT today with 21Ks. 🔥🥎💨8-0 W over Carmel.
1B: DellaMura (RBI), Galizia x2(2RBI), Becker x2, L. Zecca (RBI), Sabia, K.Zecca x2 (2RBIs), MacIndoe x2, Usewicz
2B:DellaMura, L.Zecca pic.twitter.com/SG0L387GII— Pac Varsity Softball (@MahopacSoftball) May 8, 2019
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As if 21 strikeouts isn't enough, Becker also had two singles in the 8-0 win over Carmel. It is one of the most dominant performances you will ever see, and is believed to be the first such game in New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) history.
Not bad for just a 16-year-old kid, huh?
Presently, there is no NYSPHSAA State Record on consecutive strike in 1 - 7 inning game pitched. My strong suspicion, being actively involved in NYS HS Softball since 1979, is that Shannon's accomplishment yesterday is a 'First' @nysswa @NYSPHSAA
— Bill Shaw (@kbkshaw) May 9, 2019
This wasn't a fluke performance, either. Becker, whose fastball topped over 60 MPH, according to MaxPreps, is the real deal and dominated Section 1 like nobody else could. The ace pitcher struck out 20 batters in a one-hit shutout over Panas just days prior to reaching the "perfect" milestone.
"To get 21 straight strikeouts, it's something you don't see in a lifetime," Mahopac coach Cristina Giansante told the Journal News. "I don't think people that are outside the softball world or the baseball world understand the magnitude of that."
According to MLB.com, the perfect game gave her a 0.28 ERA and 249 strikeouts for the varsity season. Simply amazing.
Oh, and if that's not enough, she recorded 17Ks in her next two games for her softball team. SHANNON BECKER HAD 75 STRIKEOUTS AND THREE SHUTOUTS IN ONE WEEK!
No wonder college coaches were reaching out to her family in the sixth grade, according to WCBS-TV.
"Sometimes I wish she would actually say she's good because she is very humble," Bob Becker, Shannon's father, told CBS News in New York. "If you ask her, "Are you a good player?' She will say, 'Oh, I'm OK.'"
A no-hitter is cool. A perfect game is even better. But to make high school softball history and punch out every single batter? That's legendary.
This story was originally published on May 13, 2019 and republished during the coronavirus pandemic and COVID-19 outbreak.
