After losing their first game at the American Legion Baseball AA state tournament, the Kalispell Lakers turned to their pitching ace Joe Pistorese in a loser-out game against Helena on Thursday. As usual, Pistorese didn’t disappoint. In fact, he tossed perhaps the best game of his storied career.
Pistorese struck out a career-high 21 batters in the Lakers’ 8-1 victory over the Senators. He allowed only two hits and didn’t walk a batter. The 21 strikeouts surpassed his previous career high of 19, also set against the Senators earlier this season. Kalispell advanced to face the Billings Royals in a loser-out game on Friday.
The Great Falls Tribune reported that Pistorese’s 21 strikeouts were just shy of the all-time American Legion Baseball state tournament record of 24, achieved by Miles City’s Frank Wagner in 1996.
Pistorese was selected in the 44th round of the Major League Baseball draft in June, though he plans to attend college first. He told the Tribune he is considering either Washington State University or Yavapie Junior College in Prescott, Ariz., though he is still speaking with the White Sox “here and there.”
“I’ll get some college underneath my belt and go from there,” he said.