By Jim Bastian
Journal Sports Writer
NEW ULM - Saturday was a historic day at the Upper Midwest Classic with two pitching gems happening just minutes apart.
Article Photos
Staff photo by Steve Muscatello
Burnsville starting pitcher Chase Bosshart tossed a perfect game against New Ulm Legion Blue during the Upper Midwest Classic Saturday at Johnson Park in New Ulm.
First, at Mueller Park, Austin Kost of Sioux Falls East threw the third no-hitter in the history of the Upper Midwest Classic with a 10-0, five inning win over Coon Rapids.
The other two no-nos came from New Ulm's Aaron Heitzman in 1998 when New Ulm beat Detroit Lakes 9-0.
Heitzman's effort was matched that same year when Brent Dickey of Plover, Wisc. tossed a 10-0 , five-inning no-hitter against Sioux Falls West.
While Kost was tossing a no-hitter against Coon Rapids at Mueller Park, Chase Bosshart of Burnsville was doing one better as both games were played at almost the same time.
Bosshart faced 15 New Ulm Blue hitters and set them all down in order in the 12-0, five-inning win for the first perfect game in the 32 year history of the Upper Midwest Classic.
The righthanded Bosshart fanned five New Um batters, recorded six outs on ground balls and got four outs on flyballs to the outfield. The last out coming on a fly ball off of the bat of Luke Cihak that nestled into the glove of Burnsville center fielder Dan Sherman.
"All that I was trying to do was go out there and throw strikes," Bosshart said. "There really was not much to it - I was just locating my pitches. I was throwing my fastball - I established that. I was able to mix in some off-speed pitches. That is really all that it was."
Bosshart said that the fastball is his main strikeout pitch.
"Just throwing the fastball seemed to work," he said.
Bosshart said that after his team scored nine runs in the bottom of the fourth, which took him just three outs away from a perfect game, that he was "a little nervous."
Bosshart said that he started on the Burnsville High School varsity team.
"I played a little bit. I pitched a little bit but I made the best of it," he said.
Bosshart thought that the last out of the perfect game was going to be in the gap.. "The wind seemed to hold it up a little bit," he said.
Bosshart said that he knew that he had the perfect game going as he sat and waited during the long bottom of the fourth inning.
"I actually thought that someone was going to jinx me for a second," Bosshart said. "It was pretty cool in the dugout (in the bottom of the fourth)."