In the category of Big Country feats for the ages, we offer this big, bold headline-worthy accomplishment from Hawley ace Westyn Balch, who last week pitched a perfect game — almost literally.

For those keeping score at home, here is how nearly perfect Balch was:

In the Bearcats’ 7-0 victory over Forsan in the Region I-2A area round, the senior left-hander yielded not only no hits and no baserunners; he struck out each of the 21 Buffalo hitters he faced. Furthermore, he threw 67 of his 76 pitches for strikes and had 32 swings and misses.