Oviedo’s Cameron Peppiatt knew pressure last Friday, pitching against rival Winter Springs. But pressure didn’t rattle the senior pitcher as he threw his first ever perfect game.
“Towards the end I started to get a little nervous with it, and I started to panic a little bit. But with my team behind me and everybody I had in the field, I had no worries at all,” said Peppiatt.
The left handed pitcher has been working with a strong arm all season, but even his coach, Harold Hitt, couldn’t see this one coming.
“I would have expected this year that maybe he’d throw a no hitter or two, because he has really been on fire since the season began. All of his outings have been phenomenal. So I could have seen him easily throwing a no-hitter against someone this year, but a perfect game, I guess it doesn’t get any better than that,” said Hitt.
It doesn’t get any better than perfect. Cameron with 11K’s on the night, and a go to pitch.
“Friday had to be the changeup. I threw 80% fastballs, but when I needed a pitch to go to it was the changeup.”
And it’s not just Cameron that can claim the perfect game. Oviedo High School TV production crews at the game captured everyone working to do their part, including catcher JJ Woodard.
“The 5th inning I finally realized what was going on, the 6th inning I was a little nervous, and then the 7th inning I was on pins and needles. I knew that eventually he was going to throw a curveball in the dirt or something and I was going to have to scoop it and help him out, but he never did. He kept everything in the strike zone, and everything he threw was very, very good,” said Woodard.
The game ending with a strikeout, and a dogpile in celebration. A stellar senior year with one of the best memories a high school baseball player can ask for.
“It was awesome, being able to compete with a team like that is good, but being able to shut them out, not even give them one base, it was exciting,” said Peppiatt.
From here, the hopes are high for Oviedo’s season - especially with such great pitching. And after the Lions, it is on to High Point where Cameron hopes to one day have another perfect game.
“You kind of have to have a short memory with baseball, so what happened happened. And now it is all about the future. If I can do it again, I am going to try, so every game I go out I am going to give my best effort.”