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On Saturday, the 10th day in September, Amherst native Aaron Furgeson of the St. Francis Xavier X-Men was the winning pitcher in a 10-0 victory over the UNB Cougars. But, something very unusual took place. When the game was over, all the batters on the UNB squad still had the same batting average as they did when the game started. The reason: Aaron pitched a “no-hitter” and it was the opening game of the season! All UNB batters started at .000 and ended at .000 …..
Wow! That’s a CIBA record that’s unlikely to ever be broken. In fact, in the long documented history of Major League baseball, it only happened once. The unique feat was accomplished by Cleveland Indian pitcher Bob Feller on April 16, 1940 against the Chicago White Sox at the old Comiskey Park. (see link below)
Yes, quite an accomplishment by Aaron Furgeson – but there’s more to this story …... The night before, the X-Men were practicing at the Albion Field in Stellarton and returned home to St. FX cold and hungry. After supper, some of the team were sitting around looking at the stats and information on the CIBA website (.org, that is), when they entered the “Records” section of past records set by players from previous years. When they examined the no-hitter section, according to older brother Devon Furgeson, Aaron had a harbinger/forerunner and stated, “I can get in there – I’m going to pitch a no-hitter tomorrow!” And he did! It’s an amazing thing to throw a no-hitter but to call it, why that’s just plain spookier than Babe Ruth pointing to centrefield.
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OSHAWA - Julian Daligadu couldn't have started his final season with the Durham Lords in any better fashion. The veteran pitcher from Whitby threw a no-hitter in his first start of the CIBA season last week, locking down the York Lions in an 8-0 victory.
"It felt fantastic. It's my last year here, so it felt really good to start the season off that way," he said of the no-no. Daligadu even flirted with perfection on that night, with a single walk serving as the only blemish on an otherwise perfect pitching line that included 12 strikeouts over seven innings.
Having thrown a couple of no-hit games as a junior with the Whitby Chiefs program in the past, Daligadu knew early against York that he had the stuff to keep the Lions off the board. "Coming out in the first inning you always know what type of stuff you'll have. In the first inning I struck out the side. From then on I figured it was a possibility, I guess," he admitted.
As impressive as his performance was, though, Daligadu was quick to point out that if not for a couple of spectacular plays in the field, he wouldn't be talking about the accomplishment. "I think it was the third inning. They laid down a bunt and third basemen Troy McLoughlin made an unreal play. He bare-handed the ball and threw the guy out a first," he said in detailing the first of the two. "There was also another play by Mackenzie Clugston, our second basemen. A guy hit a shallow fly ball into right-centre field and Mackenzie laid out diving backwards to catch the ball. Those two plays really stand out."
Julian wants more, however, in the form of a championship for the Lords. "We're definitely gunning for (the Ontario Conference title) and we're gunning for a national championship as well. I think we have a really good shot at it this year," he said.
Jeff Walker of the St. Clair Saints threw a no hitter at the Humber Hawks in game two of a double header at Cullen Field in Windsor on September 11. Walker allowed only two base runners (a first inning strikeout where the runner reached first on a throwing error, and a fifth inning walk) and no one got past first base, as he walked one and struck out eleven. Jeff said his curve ball was working good, keeping the hitters off balance. Jeff had high praise for his catcher Mark Langille, “He just stuck up the ol’ mitt and I usually threw it close to where it was. The defense also came up big with a couple of outstanding plays."
And, rounding out the frenzy of September no-hitters, Chris Leger turned the trick in Moncton on the 24th when Crandall Chargers defeated Dalhousie Tigers. Behind his big grin, referring to his no-hitter, Chris Leger put it this way, “It wasn’t exactly pin-point control, mostly fastballs, but everything was working, even my change-up.”
Leger says he’s really enjoying the team this year with his pitching coach Steve Aube and new head coach Craig Betts. “Craig really knows his baseball and he's assembled a great mixture of rookies and veterans - there’s a lot of excitement at Crandall this year.”