Joe Vita finally got his complete game. The Presidents' sophomore has twice been lifted this season after going 8.0 innings, but went the distance in a complete-game shutout of Saint Vincent in a 4-0 W&J win ... Vita (3-0) was in command all evening, needing just 99 pitches to work through the Bearcats' order, lowering his season ERA to a paltry 0.71 in 38.0 innings ... The sophomore surrendered just five hits, with two walks and a strikeout, getting 17 outs via ground balls ... It was the third shutout for the W&J pitching staff that Vita has been a part of this season, and fourth total for the team.
There's actually a term that's grown more popular in recent years to describe Vita's accomplishment on the evening: a "Maddux," named in honor of Major League Hall of Famer Greg Maddux. The parameters for a Maddux are: a starting pitcher must pitch the entire game, said game must go at least nine innings (no rain shortened affairs), the pitcher must give up no runs, and he can throw no more than 99 total pitches. The feat is fairly rare. There have been an average of roughly 10 per season in the MLB since 1988, with 289 between 1988-2013.
