Geesaman cages Panthers in perfect game

Editors note: In more than six years, Chris Schanz has seen his fair share of individual performances, whether in a single contest or over the course of a career. In this “Exceptional Efforts” series, he will take a look back at some of those standout games or careers.

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The sun shining bright these last couple days has me grateful spring is finally here.

The season always marks the start of new beginnings, and that my favorite sport — baseball — will soon come.

Unfortunately, Thursday’s news there will be no high school sports this season sure does dampen the mood.

In an effort to combat the sudden sadness myself and Hoosier spring athletes are experiencing, we can take a look back at one of the best high school pitching performances I may ever witness.

Coincidentally, it happened one year ago today.

Wyatt Geesaman, then a Jay County High school senior, put his feet to the rubber at Don E. Selvey Field as the Patriot baseball team was set to square off against the Elwood Panthers in the season opener.

The first Panther batter, Josh Parrish, popped out to Brayden Sprunger in right field on Geesaman’s second pitch. Dakota Davis then grounded out to Daniel Fugiett at second base on a 2-2 count.

That’s when Geesaman settled in, striking out Jordan Garcia to end the inning.

The next time Geesaman took to the hill, Isaac Moeller had spotted him a one-run lead.

Cameron Smith, Kelton Boyland and Hunter Scholl all succumbed to Geesaman’s pitches, going down on strikes.

The Patriots plated another run in the second inning, handing the 6-foot, 5-inch righty a cushion.

Six straight Geesaman pitches fanned both Blaze Twiford and Jarren Tonnell to start the third inning. Ben Delong went down on a called third strike as seven consecutive Panthers struck out.

Now with the Patriots 4-0 leading to start the fourth, Parish worked Geesaman to a full count before whiffing at the payoff pitch. Again, Davis and Garcia struck out, making it 10 straight for the future Cincinnati Bearcat.

Geesaman struggled a little bit in the fifth inning. He had thrown just 51 pitches through four frames, not necessarily a ton for a high school kid. But he had a full count to pinch hitter Chris Hawes before getting him a called third strike.

Then he fell behind Boyland 3-0 before recording his his 12th straight punchout. After that, four pitches made Scholl trot back to the dugout as yet another strikeout victim.

The 17-pitch inning turned out to be his most laborious frame of the chilly spring evening.

In the bottom half of the fifth, Noah Arbuckle blasted a three-run home run to stake the Patriots a 7-0 advantage, six more than Geesaman needed to get the win.

Going back to the mound for the sixth, Geesaman had not allowed a hit, and he had retired every batter he had faced, the previous 13 by strikeout.

He led off the stanza with back-to-back strikes, but Twiford didn’t chase a third and watched another pitch for a 2-2 count. Twiford didn’t swing at the fifth pitch either. But he should have; another strikeout. Four pitches sat down Tonnell for the second time.

Geesaman appeared to be cruising again. However, he fell behind Delong 3-1. Fifth pitch went for strike two. Sixth had Delong kicking dirt wishing he would have taken the bat off his shoulder.

Keeping track? That’s 16 straight strikeouts for Geesaman, who at this point still had not allowed a baserunner.

Four pitches sent Parish packing. Davis had no chance on three tries, and he too, struck out.

Garcia watched Geesaman’s first toss go by for strike one. The second was called a ball, and Garcia fouled off the next for a 1-2 count.

Elwood’s No. 3 hitter kissed a slow roller Arbuckle at first base, and he stepped on the bag to seal perfection before mobbing Geesaman along with shortstop Ryan Schlechty and catcher Gabe Faulkner.

Ballgame.

Geesaman’s final line: seven innings, zero hits, no walks and 18 consecutive strikeouts on 94 pitches.

In short; perfection.

“It feels like confirmation for all the hard work that I’ve been doing the last couple years,” said Geesaman, who missed the entirety of his sophomore season on the mound with an arm ailment, said following the game. “I just kind of went out and pitched. This year I’m just having fun. That’s what I want to focus on all year is having fun. Be me. I guess I was really me today.”

Geesaman only reached a three-ball count against four of the 21 batters he faced. Panther hitters were greeted with a first pitch strike 13 times, and less than a third of his pitches were off the 17-inch wide plate.

“He’s worked his but off,” JCHS coach Lea Selvey said after the win. “He’s really worked hard and he’s really getting an understanding of what he can do.”

Get out of jams. Strike out a ton. Be perfect.

At least for one day, that was Geesaman.