You don't have to be perfect to advance into the state tournament semifinals. But it doesn't hurt, either.

Park Center junior pitcher Nicola Tade threw a five-inning perfect game Thursday at Caswell Park. She struck out 13 of the 15 Albany batters she faced as the Pirates won in a rout 15-0 in Class 2A.

Up 1-0 after two innings, Park Center exploded for nine runs in the third and five more in the fourth. Kati Fern and Abby DeMorett each had three RBI for the defending state champion Pirates.

Tade's perfect game is the third in state tournament history. Ironically, the last perfect game came against Park Center in 2001 when Park of Cottage Grove's Kristen Schmidt struck out three in a 10-0, five-inning victory.

The only other perfect game at state came from Britt Hall of Hopkins in 1993.