Baseball: Senators Cash Weisenberger’s “perfect” July 4th

BISMARCK, N.D. — For athletes and sports fanatics, nothing beats celebrating the 4th of July at the ballpark, enjoying America’s favorite pastime. And last Thursday’s performance for one Bismarck Senators pitcher was like the grand finale to any fireworks show.

Senators pitcher Cash Weisenberger was the difference maker for Bismarck in their shutout victory over cross-town rival Mandan A’s. Not only did Weisenberger drive in the game-winning run, but he accomplished a feat that only 24 major-league pitchers have ever reached, throwing a perfect game.

“Still reminiscing, it feels amazing,” he says. “It’s such just like a big accomplishment that few people ever get to do or even witness. And it’s just amazing. It was especially special going to Mandan and doing it on their field, but also doing it on the 4th of July. It was just so cool and so special and probably something that I’ll never get to experience again.”

“The 4th of July game, they’re all looking forward to it,” Senators coach Paxton Miller adds. “The energy is going to be high. It was a cross-town rival in Mandan. And that just added to the excitement of this game. And just to top it off, after the one, two, three inning in the first, we made a couple of good plays early on in the game. I thought this game was going to be special, but I didn’t expect it to be a perfect game. This is something they’ll remember for a long time and it’s cool accomplishment especially. It does matter what level it’s at.”

Weisenberger’s perfection did not come without any obstacles. With rain moving in and out of the Mandan area on Thursday, there were two weather delays. Despite the breaks in the action, there wasn’t ever a doubt from Weisenberger, or his coach, whether he would stay on the mound.

“He was perfect through three and two thirds, and at that point, he was only at 30, maybe 40 pitches,” Miller says. “And I’m like, at that point, I got to keep on him. Right now, it’s like he’s young. He’s got a rubber arm. And if he says he’s hurt, I’ll take him out. But at that point, he was perfect. At that point, I had to keep him in, like there’s no question he had something special going and I wanted to see what would happen.”

“50 minute first rain delay, I was like, It’s the fourth inning,” Weisenberger adds. “I still have three innings. You never know what could happen. But like then during the last one, right before the seventh inning, it was creeping in my head. It was like, ‘Dude, you’re three outs away from an accomplishment that few people ever get to experience.’ But when you step on the field, that’s just got to go away and you just got to go out there and work.”

Weisenberger credits the support from his teammates in the dugout and on the diamond. With only two strikeouts in the game, the Senators defense stepped up and played its best when their pitcher needed it most.

“Defense was amazing that game,” he says. “They really stood up and they really picked up my back. The support was unreal. Just everyone’s so happy. And the fact that the team really supported me from inning one to seven and making all the rest of the outs and making 19. It was truly a team performance on the perfect game.”

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