First game of 2025 Little League season
Saturday, May 10
Copenhagen Baseball Field
Eighteen Acorns/Tuff Nuts players came together on a cloudy, chilly Saturday to host the Lyngby Jokers youth team(s) for our 2025 home-opener double-header, looking to test their skills and mental focus in a real game setting. While my stomach was turning, nervously tied up in knots, asst. coach Dr. Moss made sure to remind me to stay calm and to remember what matters most: "at least it's not raining."
Our group of supporters – parents, friends, family, siblings, and strangers alike – gathered in the bleachers and around the dugout to first watch the Minors teams (ages 7-12) square off on the small diamond, with some kids getting their very first taste of player-pitching and what the rhythms and pacings and ups and downs of a real baseball game feel like.
Although our squad might have been smaller in stature, they showed enormous courage and heart and took it to their opponents from the get-go. Our pitching was lights-out! Ozzie and Finn combined to pitch six innings of no-hit, scoreless baseball, with plenty of strikeouts. Skjold and Mylo did a great job catching with all the gear on. Amazing stuff.
At the same time, Lyngby had equally effective pitching, as our young heroes were also held hitless in Game 1.
As the game came to a close after six innings, and the score remained tied 0-0, two things seemed clear: 1) we need to work on hitting live pitching and 2) baseball is a very difficult game!
After accepting a highly unusual scoreless draw (and getting both teams out there for a group photo) everyone ran with glee to the concessions stand where we consumed 100 hot dogs, 60 juice boxes, a homemade cake, and who knows what else all purchased and prepared by our amazing volunteer parent BBQ crew. Jacinda, Rasmus, Megan, Andy, Anne, and those I may be forgetting:
You guys are awesome!
Also a shout-out to Matthew (Sam's dad) who stepped in to assist as backstop for our catcher(s). And especially to Gabe (Nico's dad) for bravely standing atop the mound as umpire for both games, bringing both a keen eye and friendly vibe to the proceedings.
Now fully satiated from all those delicious ballpark flavors, the Tuff Nuts were hungry for one thing only: more baseball fun!
Game 2, now expanded to the full-sized diamond, featured solid fielding and more excellent pitching from the Tuff Nuts, pounding the strike zone with precision focus. Dr. Moss had the scorebook ready, teaching Anna (August's mom) to keep score in the dugout, and our Tuff Nuts squad (Intermediate division, ages 11-13) ran on and off the field between innings with the joy of players who truly love the game. So great to see!
The Jokers started quickly, however, getting two runners on, with one out, and their big slugger up to bat. He sent a coach-pitch cupcake far into left-field where Shahrokh positioned himself perfectly and made a one-handed snag, catching the line-drive for the out! Then chaos ensued. The runners forgot to tag-up, so everyone was hollering from both dugouts "Go back! Tag up!", "Throw it in to 2nd base!" , "Throw it to 3rd!", "AhhhhH!!". The crazy play ended up going to video review (the first in league history) which indeed showed the runners had tagged up, with both runs eventually scoring on the play. Sour grapes! But, not to worry, the Tuff Nuts had faced adversity before.
With the scored tied 2-2 in the 4th inning, clean-up hitter Nico came to the plate with two runners on base and sent a coach-pitch dart, up in the zone, high into the Copenhagen clouds, out into centerfield, and over the cones for a legit 3-run Home Run! What a feeling it must be, to jog the bases at your leisure as your teammates await you at home plate for congratulatory hugs! The Tuff Nuts never looked back, tacking on an additional run in the 5th as lead-off catcher Sam got a hit off the Jokers' teenage lefty phenom pitcher, eventually scoring on a hit by relief pitcher Theo who continued to stymie the opposition with his battery-mate and brother, Elliot, catching all while our defense stood strong. After six full innings, the final score read:
Tuff Nuts 6-2 Jokers
What a great way to open the 2025 Little League season!
Congratulations to all the kids for showing up, staying focused, giving it their best, having fun, and once again showing that all-inclusive solidarity and team spirit. Well done!
More fun to come.
See you on the diamond.
Coach Kev
