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Youth baseball in full swing

  • Published
  • By Mark Munsey
  • Special to the Kukini
HICKAM AIR FORCE BASE, Hawaii --  Between T-ball/coach pitch, where 5- to 6-year-old Hickam youth are eased into the structured world of baseball, and the teenager-comprised Juniors, the final ladder and most competitive of base youth baseball lies the Minors, where skills are honed in a highly energetic by controlled environment. 

That was the case Saturday afternoon as the age 9-10 Rangers and Orioles met at the base fields. 

"For kids' safety, the number of pitches thrown is regulated based on their age,' said Oriole's coach Lamont Atkins. 

While no score is kept, there was plenty of offensive on display. 

After back-to-back hits by teammates Braden Cain and Cameron Love, the Oriole's Conor Rivera cleared the bases with an inside-the-park home run. 

Ranger's pitcher Tristan Williams then retired the side on three straight strikeouts. 

Rivera traded his batting glove for a pitcher's mitt, taking to the mound for the bottom of the first. He gave up only one extra-base hit: a triple by Ranger Eric Olsen. 

The second inning featured Ranger Jonah Vasquez on both sides of the chalk, taking over pitching duties for the final two innings, as well as lining a double in the second.
The Oriole's manager pulled a Tony La Russa, going with multiple pitching changes, throwing Matthew Bottom in the second and closing with his son Lamont Atkins. 

Parental program involvement is critical to the ongoing success of the programs, according to BJ Bentley, Hickam Youth Sports and Fitness director. 

"With the big reduction in our budgets, we rely even more on parents and single airmen as officials and field maintenance," she said. "Even as baseball is going on, we are prepping for the next sports season and the start of the summer basketball camps."
 
Sign-ups for Hickam keiki ages 5 to 16 who wish to participate in the basketball camps are being held from May 21 through June 8. 

For more information about the basketball camp or to volunteer as officials or ground crews for any of the youth sports program, contact Bentley at 448-4492.