Benevolent One
Team Owner
New York pitcher fires all-strikeout no-hitter
By Cameron Smith
Pitching any no-hitter is an accomplishment. Doing what Elmont (N.Y.) High sophomore Danny Aguilo did on Wednesday, on the other hand, is almost beyond belief.
According to Newsday, after never throwing a no-hitter before, Aguilo recorded a no-no with a maximum 21 strikeouts in a 12-0 victory over Hempstead (N.Y.) High. Not a single Hempstead batter was able to put a ball in play against the Elmont sophomore.
"I just tried to stay calm and keep going," Aguilo told Newsday. "My fastball was overpowering them and my off-speed was working really well."
To say that the Spartan coaches didn't see Aguilo's feat coming is an understatement. The sophomore pitcher is better known as the team's slick-fielding shortstop on days when he doesn't start on the mound.
To put in perspective just how unforeseen Aguilo's remarkable outing was, consider his previous pitching start, in which the sophomore allowed 10 runs in his seven innings of work during a 10-8 loss to Seawanhaka (N.Y.) High.
Yet, none of that mattered on Wednesday, with Aguilo setting down Hempstead batters as if they weren't even in the box. The 21 strikeouts were eight more than he had ever recorded before, and were more than he had recorded in his two previous starts this year combined. The only thing keeping him from a perfect game were two walks, issued in the bottom of the fifth and seventh.
"When I walked the first guy, I was a little mad," Aguilo said, "but I just wanted to focus and get the next guy. My teammates were telling me not to worry about it."
Aguilo's all-strikeout game may not be the first on record (it tied a state record for a seven-inning game), but it's almost certainly the first to come so early in a young pitcher's career. Where it ranks on an all-time list of great New York prep baseball performances is certainly up for debate -- Hempstead has yet to record a win this season, so Aguilo wasn't exactly striking out the Yankees -- but any 21-strikeout masterpiece certainly belongs in that conversation.
By Cameron Smith
Pitching any no-hitter is an accomplishment. Doing what Elmont (N.Y.) High sophomore Danny Aguilo did on Wednesday, on the other hand, is almost beyond belief.
According to Newsday, after never throwing a no-hitter before, Aguilo recorded a no-no with a maximum 21 strikeouts in a 12-0 victory over Hempstead (N.Y.) High. Not a single Hempstead batter was able to put a ball in play against the Elmont sophomore.
"I just tried to stay calm and keep going," Aguilo told Newsday. "My fastball was overpowering them and my off-speed was working really well."
To say that the Spartan coaches didn't see Aguilo's feat coming is an understatement. The sophomore pitcher is better known as the team's slick-fielding shortstop on days when he doesn't start on the mound.
To put in perspective just how unforeseen Aguilo's remarkable outing was, consider his previous pitching start, in which the sophomore allowed 10 runs in his seven innings of work during a 10-8 loss to Seawanhaka (N.Y.) High.
Yet, none of that mattered on Wednesday, with Aguilo setting down Hempstead batters as if they weren't even in the box. The 21 strikeouts were eight more than he had ever recorded before, and were more than he had recorded in his two previous starts this year combined. The only thing keeping him from a perfect game were two walks, issued in the bottom of the fifth and seventh.
"When I walked the first guy, I was a little mad," Aguilo said, "but I just wanted to focus and get the next guy. My teammates were telling me not to worry about it."
Aguilo's all-strikeout game may not be the first on record (it tied a state record for a seven-inning game), but it's almost certainly the first to come so early in a young pitcher's career. Where it ranks on an all-time list of great New York prep baseball performances is certainly up for debate -- Hempstead has yet to record a win this season, so Aguilo wasn't exactly striking out the Yankees -- but any 21-strikeout masterpiece certainly belongs in that conversation.
from the article though it looks like his future is at shortstop. he's just a sophomore in h.s. so plenty of time to see where his real talent lies.