The Hill United Chiefs’ run at the International Softball Congress (ISC) World Tournament featured plenty of highlight moments, but none bigger than the performance in the circle by Marco Diaz. Thanks to a stretch of pitching that silenced some of the best lineups in fastpitch, Diaz has officially been named the recipient of the prestigious Leroy Zimmerman Most Outstanding Pitcher Award.
Diaz was nothing short of sensational throughout the tournament, racking up a 5-1 record with a microscopic 1.43 ERA over 35.1 innings pitched. Opposing batters spent the week searching for answers, managing to hit just .130 against him while Diaz racked up an incredible 74 strikeouts.
Highlights of a Historic Tournament
Diaz’s dominance was defined by an elite ability to keep hitters off the basepaths entirely:
- Two Solo No-Hitters:
- vs. Georgian Bay Giants: A complete-game 7-inning masterpiece, allowing just 3 walks while striking out 18 batters.
- vs. JB Fastpitch: Another 7-inning shutdown performance, giving up 3 walks and racking up 15 strikeouts.
- Two Combined No-Hitters with Justin Schofield:
- vs. Puslinch Kodiaks: Diaz set the tone across 4 innings (1 walk, 12 strikeouts) before handing the ball to Justin Schofield for the final inning to seal the no-hitter.
- vs. Bear Creek Express: Diaz went 6 deep (1 walk, 9 strikeouts) before Schofield again came in for a clean inning to lock down the team’s second combined no-no.
Championship Precision
When the lights were brightest in the championship game, Diaz delivered once again. Facing a potent Bear Creek Gremlins offense, he went the distance, pitching a full 7 innings and holding the Gremlins to just 3 hits, 3 runs (2 earned), 1 walk, and 8 strikeouts to secure the win and cap off his award-winning week.
Congratulations to Marco Diaz on taking home the Leroy Zimmerman Award and delivering one of the most memorable tournament pitching performances in recent memory!
