Ronald Andrew Necciai [NEH-chai], (born June 18, 1932), is a former Major League Baseball starting pitcher who played with the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1952 season.
Necciai is best remembered for the unique feat of striking out 27 batters in a nine-inning game, which he accomplished while playing with the Class-D Appalachian League team, the Bristol Twins, on May 13, 1952.
Four of the Welch hitters did reach base, via a walk, an error, a hit batsman and a passed ball charged to Twins' catcher Harry Dunlop on a swinging third strike.
[3] At 20 years old, Necciai posted a 1–6 record with 31 strikeouts and a 7.08 earned run average in 542⁄3 innings pitched from August 10 to September 28, 1952, the single season comprising his entire Major League Baseball career.
[3] He returned to baseball thereafter, but was plagued by injuries resulting from his long-standing battle with stomach ulcers and further debilitation from a torn rotator cuff.