This post is personal. Last Saturday, May 2nd, the Fort Bragg High School Timberwolf baseball team was invited by the Justin Siena High School Braves from the Napa Valley to play a game at the San Francisco Giants field in Oracle Park. It wasn’t free. A lot of money had to be raised and a lot of work had to be done to get there, but get there we did. And, our Fort Bragg boys made us proud.
Before the game
The Giants organization did its best to give the team their money’s worth. The scoreboard and all the closed circuit TV screens in the park displayed both team logos. Attendance was exclusive to those who bought tickets and we all sat in the Field Club Level close to our respective teams. There were concessions, announcers, music, the ground crew, and everything set up just as it is for a regular Giants game.
Ground crew getting the field ready
Concessions area
The game unfolded over three exciting hours:
Strategy session
0-0 at the end of the first inning
Justin-Siena pitcher warms up
0-0 at the end of the second inning
An excited crowd
0-1 (Justin Siena Braves leading) at the end of the third inning
Ready to play
In the fourth inning the Fort Bragg Timberwolves exploded to score four runs with five line drives and one long ball that almost made it out of the park to drive in the fourth run. The Justin Siena Braves answered with one run of their own, but they left the field with the bases loaded as the Timberwolves defense held strong.
Empty Dugout
4-2 at the end of the fourth inning, Timberwolves take the lead.
McCovey Cove
Starting scoreboard from McCovey Cove
4-2 at the end of the fifth inning.
4-3 at the end of the sixth inning as the Braves rallied for one more run. It would be their last.
4-3 at the end of the seventh and final inning, Timberwolves victorious.
Hitting the long ball
CLICK ON THIS LINK TO SEE A VIDEO OF THE LONG BALL
It was the fifth straight win for the Fort Bragg Timberwolves. Fort Bragg’s win bumped their record up to 14-8. As for Justin-Siena, this was their fifth loss in a row dropping them to 13-9. The Timberwolves were dominant in their previous 4 games beating Lower Lake twice, and Upper Lake twice by large margins.
This was an incredible opportunity that our boys will never forget. Don’t Stop Believing!