According to Marshall’s record book dating back to 1960, Pieper recorded the program’s second-ever perfect game and 13th no-hitter. The last no-hitter came from Josh Kraft last season on April 15, 2025, in a 10-0 win against St. Peter. Charlie Jacobson pitched Marshall’s first recorded perfect game on April 19, 2022, through five innings.

“It’s special. I’ve been putting in the work in the offseason to get there, and all my teammates and everybody encourage me the entire way. It’s just exciting,” Pieper said. “I would say probably around the sixth inning, it [the possibility of a perfect game] got into me, and that entire bottom of the sixth, I was just thinking about it, hoping we scored to 10 [for mercy-rule], but then just got ready to go out there the next inning [to finish it off].”

Pieper spent all seven innings on the mound, not allowing a single hit or walk with the Tigers committing no errors on the night.

“Just fill the zone,” Pieper said of his mindset on the mound the entire game. “They [Worthington] couldn’t touch anything, so I just kept throwing strikes to get them out … Hit my spots, and not allowing them anything that they’re going to hit the other way.”

Photo by Samantha Davis: Marshall's Noah Pieper throws a pitch Monday night against Worthington at Legion Field.

Adding to the night’s special meaning, Levi Maeyaert hit a solo home run in the third inning to give Marshall its fourth-straight game with a homer. JR Vierstraete and Trae Bailey each had one on Saturday in a doubleheader against Waseca, while Vierstraete also had one last Tuesday against Worthington.

“It’s been fun. You don’t see that [a homerun streak] very often in high school baseball, with this many home runs,” Marshall head coach Chace Pollock said. “I am happy for the guys, and they are getting rewarded for that. It’s just been a fun run when we are out there, so we are enjoying it and happy to keep it going.”

Offensively, Maeyaert went 3 for 4 at the plate with a pair of RBIs, while Eli Weedman had a team-high three runs.

Heading into the bottom of the fourth inning with a 2-0 lead, Marshall got its bats going and tacked on another trio of runs to extend to a five-run edge.

Ethan Weedman singled on a live drive for a base hit, and accounted for the first run of the inning after advancing to second on an Eli Alcorn ground-out and charged home with the help of an Andrew Stelter RBI single of a ground ball to short center field.

Photo by Samantha Davis: The Marshall baseball team celebrates with Levi Maeyaert (5) after hitting a homerun Monday night against Worthington.

Stelter stole second to get into scoring position, and scored on an Eli Weedman single line drive to left field.

After stealing second and advancing to third on the same play from a Trojans’ fielding error, Eli Weedman scored on a Bailey RBI triple on a hard fly ball to deep right field before Worthington could put a halt to the Tigers’ rally with the final out after retiring a batter.

Marshall first got on the board with a pair of runs in the third inning. Eli Weedman scored the day’s first run on a Vierstraete ground-out, as Weedman first reached base on an infield fly ball and a Worthington fielding error, and reached second on the same play.

Maeyaert then stepped up to the plate and hit his single homerun over the right field fence, on the second pitch of his count.

The Tigers capped off the night with three more runs in the sixth inning, coming from Alcorn, Eli Weedman and Vierstraete.

Photo by Samantha Davis: Marshall's Andrew Stelter attempts to lay down a bunt Monday night against Worthington.

Alcorn scored on Eli Weedman’s RBI double off a line drive, while Weedman got home with a Maeyaert base hit. Vierstraete scored the final run as bases were loaded with two outs and Ethan Boeck was walked.

Pieper set the defensive tone straight away on the mound to open the game, and maintained his pressure the rest of the night. He retired Worthington’s first three batters consecutively in the top of the first inning, the last of which he impressively worked back from a 3-0 count by throwing three straight strikes.

Pieper never lost a beat as the game progressed, and paced the Tigers to the shutout victory and never allowed Worthington to get any offense going.

“He [Pieper] was great. He had a similar outing to this against Bell Plaine [on April 11]. He got bunted on in like the sixth inning, and it broke up a no hitter he had there,” Pollock said. “So today, it was fun to see him get back out there and really do a nice job. At one point, he was throwing 74% strikes, which is crazy good. He’s been great for us all year long, and I’m happy for him.”

In the top of the seventh, Pieper officially secured his perfect game with two more strikeouts. He had the last Worthington batter at a 2-2 count, and tossed two more strikes to end the night.

Photo by Samantha Davis: Marshall's Levi Maeyaert runs the bases after hitting a homerun Monday night against Worthington.

Marshall (12-2) returns to the field Tuesday to host St. Peter with a 5:30 p.m. first pitch, as the Tigers head into the final few weeks of the regular season.

“[We just need to] keep pitching the ball well, hitting the ball well and fielding the ball well,” Pieper said. “Like we have done all year. Nothing needs to change.”

BOX SCORE

BATTING

A. Stelter: 1-4, R, RBI; Eli Weedman: 2-4, 3R, 2 RBI; T. Bailey: 2-4, RBI; J. Vierstraete: 0-3, R, RBI, BB; L. Maeyaert: 3-4, R, 2RBI; T. KRaft: 0-2, 2 BB; Ethan Weedman: 1-3, R; E. Boeck: 0-0, RBI, BB; E. Alcorn: 1-3, R.

PITCHING

N. Pieper: 7 IP, 15 SO.