It’s a not-so-perfect ending for Wilson

(This story will be updated later tonight with a full box score, additional details and postgame reaction.)

PLYMOUTH MEETING — Central Bucks West right-hander Julio Ermigiotti said he knew after the first inning Monday that he had a little something special going on.

The Wilson Bulldogs realized it pretty quickly, too.

Ermigiotti got ahead of hitters with an 88-90 mph fastball and stayed ahead the entire way, firing a perfect game to lead the District 1 champion Bucks over the District 3 runner-up Bulldogs 3-0 in a PIAA Class 6A Tournament opener at Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Bucks coach Brian Williams said after watching Ermigiotti set down 21 straight batters and record the first no-hitter of his high school career.

Ermigiotti, who will play at Lehigh next season, needed just 80 pitches to complete his masterpiece. He went to a three-ball count on just one batter, Tommy Hunsicker, who fouled off a full-count pitch before looking at a called third strike — one of nine strikeouts for Ermigiotti.

Wilson ace Matt VanOstenbridge kept his team in it, opening with three scoreless innings. He had a little bad luck in the fourth, when the Bucks (21-6) had four hits and put three runs on the board.

One of those hits was a bloop into right field. Another was a bunt down the first-base line that VanOstenbridge thought would go foul. When it didn’t he picked it up but too late to make a play and the bases were loaded.

He jammed the next hitter, Jack Hogenauer, inducing a slow chopper to third base. Christo Hunsicker came in hard to collect the ball but his only play was at first, and the Bucks went up 1-0.

Kevin Bukowski followed with a sharp single up the middle, plating a pair of runs and providing Ermigiotti with what looked like a huge lead.

VanOstenbridge allowed six hits over 5 2/3 innings; three of them never left the infield. He walked two and struck out two.

Ermigiotti said he felt some nerves in the final inning, but didn’t need to: The Bulldogs didn’t hit the ball sharply off him the entire afternoon, there were no close plays at first and no need for his defenders to bail him out with a big play to keep the perfect game alive.

The game ended when Christo Hunsicker hit a liner to right field — probably the sharpest hit of the day — for the final out.

Ermigiotti stepped off the mound and raised his hands in triumph after completing the dream performance.

The loss was just the third for the Bulldogs (19-9) over the last six weeks. The others came in championship games, to Gov. Mifflin in the BCIAA Tournament and to Cedar Cliff in districts.

Central Bucks West has outscored its last four opponents 33-2.