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Meggie Meidlinger has played baseball against boys most of her life. Last week, she showed why, pitching a perfect game.
The senior right-hander led Dominion High (Sterling, Va.) to a 10-0 victory against Briar Woods (Ashburn) in a game shortened to five innings by the mercy rule.
"I was pretty excited," says the 6-foot Meidlinger, who also plays center for the Dominion girls basketball team. "It was pretty neat."
She has been playing baseball with boys since age 5, so Meidlinger, who had five strikeouts in her gem, says she wasn't intimidated when joining the Dominion varsity three years ago. Pitching mostly in relief, she is 2-4 in her career.
Meidlinger is believed to be the first female to win a baseball game in Virginia High School League history, in 2004. And the perfect game may rate on a national level, too.
"I've been working with the record book for 14 years, and I can't recall this ever happening," says John Gillis, spokesman with the National High School Federation.
"Hopefully others can be encouraged by it," Meidlinger says.
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