Grace Blasts Past North Hills in Annual Picnic Match

The annual RP battle of Grace at North Hills at Devlin Park got off to a slippery start, with a little standing water on the infield, and rain just before the start of the game. There were beautiful new dugouts though, which is where the pre-game festivities started. As Matthew B. brought the devotional, however, the clouds parted, the music started, and Jerry O’Neill (retiring president of the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary) threw out the first pitch.

After some 80’s slow walk-up music, Tracy Sr. hit a sacrifice fly to bring home Tracy Jr. to give North Hills a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Jeff and the defense held Grace to 1 run after 2, but that first inning was the only lead the men in blue had all game. Grace broke things open with 8 runs in the 4th – John P. with the first ever out-of-the-park homerun at Devlin Park, and Kenny, Jordan, and company batting around and never looking back. North Hills was able to bring home 4 in the 5th, on some heads-up baserunning by Adam and patience, with 3 walks keeping the inning alive. Grace answered right back with 8 more over the next 2 innings though, putting the game out of reach. There was no Hammer’s to look toward, but at least Greta of North Hills won the Princess Race, and a good time was had by all the fans who came for the game and the picnic afterwards. A record 21 players came out for North Hills, who will look again to next year for victory in this annual event.