Thursday, May 9, 2019: Mahopac sophomore Becker strikes out all 21 batters

   Leading off today: Some perfect games are a bit more perfect than others.

   Mahopac sophomore pitcher Shannon Becker struck all 21 batters Wednesday during an 8-0 softball victory over Carmel. It is believed to be the first seven-inning game in NYSPHSAA history in which all the outs came via strikeouts.

   "To get 21 straight strikeouts, it's something you don't see in a lifetime," Mahopac coach Cristina Giansante said. "I don't think people that are outside the softball world or the baseball world understand the magnitude of that."

I think you meant to say Beckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkker.

— Brenna Lape, ATC (@1PacATC) May 8, 2019

   Becker has fanned the last 39 batters she has faced, bringing her season total to 249 through 14 starts. The NYSPHSAA record for strikeouts in a season is 411 by Williamsville South's Chelsea Plimpton in 2006.

   More big numbers: Lois Garlow of Mount St. Mary is up to 108 goals scored for the season after netting five Wednesday during a 15-4 win over Nardin.

   Garlow had reached triple-digits for the season a day earlier with six in a non-league loss to Niagara- Wheatfield.

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   Bowling center destroyed: A three-alarm blaze destroyed the 82-year-old Alpha Lanes bowling center in Lansingburgh on Wednesday morning. The 18-lane facility was the home bowling center for the Lansingburgh boys team that won the

New York State Public High School Athletic Association Division II championship this past season.

   "The biggest chall- enge was the amount of fire, and the head start it had on us when we arrived," Fire Chief Eric McMahon said.

   Recommendation made: Niagara Falls AD Joe Contento has recommended longtime assistant Brent Gadacz to succeed Sal Constantino as boys basketball coach.

   Gadacz has been an assistant or JV basketball coach in the scool district for 24 years, going back to when he was an assistant under Dan Bazzani. The school board is expected to vote on his selection at its May 23 meeting.

   Coming up: The New York State Sports- writers Association's top-ranked softball teams in Classes AA and A will go up against each other Saturday when Victor, the defending NYSPHSAA large-school champion, takes on Williamsville East in the Officer Joe Corr Memorial Tournament in Herkimer.

   Michigan decision: The Michigan High School Athletic Association has voted to reduce full-contact practice time for football by two-thirds. As a result, players in the state will now only be allowed full-contact practice time of 30 minutes per week, down from the previous maximum of 90 minutes. In addition, preseason full-contact practice time was sliced to six hours per week including scrimmages from one-full contact practice per day.

   The changes were recommended late last year by the advocacy group Practice Like Pros, which also played a role in New Jersey's decision to limit contact in practice.

   "We were under the impression that you had to hit people to prepare for a game," said Larry Merx, executive director of Michigan's high school football coaches association. "The evidence shows that you can still be aggressive and technique-wise, good, and run into people and knock 'em down in games. We can, they're less bruised up, they're not as exhausted, you're in better condition."