Minor League Baseball Action Kicks Off

         Minor league baseball action kicked off on Friday night at Grantsville Community Park in Grantsville, MD. The Orner Trucking team from Grantsville hosted the Spiker's Paint and Glass team from Meyersdale, PA. This was the season opener for Orner Trucking, and the children were full of excitement. The opener got delayed by a week and half due to poor field conditions caused by rain and cold.

6 Year Old, Dawson Tice, was ready to play!

        All children, boys or girls, from 5-9 years old are eligible to play. In minor league baseball, each coach pitches to his own team, and there are unlimited players allowed in the outfield. This is a great opportunity for kids to be active because everyone gets to play.
      Before the game, six year old Dawson Tice was ready to play. "I can't wait to try out my new catching skills." Dawson said.
     The game started with Spiker's Paint and Glass first up to bat. Three strikeouts later and it was Orner Trucking's turn to bat. One batter reached first base, but that was all the action for the first inning.
    The second inning produced no runs either. In the third, 8 year old Hunter Garvin hit a rocket to the outfield for Spiker's Paint and Glass. The outfielders bobbled the ball, and Garvin reached home plate before Orner Trucking could get the ball into the infield. That was the only action in the third inning, so the score stood at 1-0 in favor of the Spiker's Paint and Glass.
   The score remained the same until the 7th, and final inning. In minor league youth baseball, every player on each team gets to bat. Spiker's Paint and Glass was up first, and they managed to score two runs off of one RBI, and one error. Next up was Orner Trucking. Josh Harvey was up first to bat and he hit a triple to right field. The next two batters also reached base. This left the bases loaded with Connor Troy up to bat. Troy hit a line shot to center field, where the outfielder misread the ball, and it went over his head. This brought three runners in, tying it up a 3-3.
     Orner Trucking was unable to score anymore runs in the 7th, so the game ended in a tie. After the game, Nancy Garver, Hunter Garver's mother said, "I am so proud of Hunter! I have never seen him hit like that before."
     Coach of Orner Trucking, Shane Smith, after the game said, "I'm really proud of the kids. They played with heart, and that's not something you can teach."
     Orner Trucking plays today at 4 pm at home, and Spiker's Paint and Glass plays away at Kingwood on Monday.