NEW ORLEANS — Heading into the 7th inning of Tuesday night’s ball game against John Curtis, Holy Cross pitcher Lance Lauve had retired all 18 batters faced, struck out 12, and was three outs away from a perfect game.
The Tigers were up 1-0 and Lauve knew the margin for error was small.
“Don’t hit anybody, don’t walk anybody. Make them earn it. Make them get a hit. Don’t give up a free pass to first. Just throw strikes and make them put it into play,” said Holy Cross Pitcher Lance Lauve.
Two outs later, Lauve forced the 21st and final batter he faced to hit a pop-up. The outfielder made a routine play on the ball and the perfect game had been completed.
“That was one of the most special nights I’ve had at the field. Seeing him control the game and the poise that he showed to be able to handle that situation. it’s not like the game was a blowout. It’s a 1-0 ball game the whole entire time. He pitched with so much confidence and control and he commanded the strike zone with all three pitches,” says Holy Cross Head Baseball Coach Andy Cannizaro.
Lance has missed most of his senior season while recovering from a fracture in his elbow.
Countless work on and off the field has helped Lance return to true form.
In his 3rd start of the season Tuesday night, the results of that hard work began to show with a flawless performance.
“It’s a major confidence boost. Just to go out there and give my team everything I had. Really meant a lot. Kept us in the ball game. As long as we win that’s all that matters,” says Lauve.
“He attacked his rehab so hard and so aggressively to get back out here and pitch for his team and his teammates and that was just a culmination of a lot of hard work for him and he was phenomenal on the mound,” says Cannizaro.
“I’ve gotten really close to Lance the last two years. We live just minutes away from each other on the Northshore and he’s a great kid from a great family, works hard. He’ll pitch next year at Southeastern, and those guys are getting an incredible pitcher, a great teammate, and someone that wants to win every time he goes on the mound.”
For now, Lance will continue to take the mound for a revamped pitching staff and the hottest team in the Catholic League.
One with championship aspirations.
