From the PRNA Files
Last Saturday for the third year in a row, Tallahassee Parks, Recreation & Neighborhood Affairs hosted the Aquafina MLB Pitch, Hit and Run Sectionals. The event was held at Tom Brown Softball Complex. It was the second round of the popular competition for boys and girls ages 7-14. Each of the participants had to qualify at their local level in order to advance to Tallahassee.
From the Tallahassee Sectionals, the top three scores in both the boys and girls age group in the Tampa Bay Rays market will advance to the Team Championships, which will be held on June 16 before the Rays host the Miami Marlins. Finals for the Pitch, Hit and Run Competition are held during the MLB All-Star Game in Kansas City. Several years ago, 10-year-old Riggs Newell advanced from Tallahassee to the All-Star Game and finished third in the country.
Last weekend, we had 62 participants compete. Competitors and their families traveled to Tallahassee from as far away as Niceville and Pensacola. I had the opportunity to meet most of the participants and personally thank those who traveled to compete in the event. There was some great competition in all the age groups.
The Aquafina MLB Pitch, Hit and Run is similar to the NFL Punt, Pass and Kick where kids compete in three different events and receive a score that is tallied to determine a winner. The first event is pitching. Each participant attempts to hit a stationary target, and each time they hit it, it’s worth 75 points. The second event is running, and each participant is timed running from second base to home plate. Their time equals a particular point. The final event allows each participant to hit off a tee three times, and the longest hit is used to determine their distance, which also equals a point value.
After two hours of competition, we were able to determine winners for all the age groups and see who would be the overall winner for each group and would get the opportunity to advance to Tampa. Here are the final results:
7/8 years old Age Group
Boys
- 1st Place - Luke Edelman (Destin)
- 2nd Place - Benecio Gallegos (Eglin AFB)
- 3rd Place - Waylon Turner (Panama City)
Girls
- 1st Place - Samantha Sherer (Miramar Beach)
- 2nd Place - Taylor Kelly (Navarre)
- 3rd Place - Abigail Brake (Shalimar)
9/10 years old Age Group
Boys
- 1st Place - Drake Roberts (Miramar Beach)
- 2nd Place - Shomari Ford (Ft. Walton beach)
- 3rd Place - Kavin Balasubramaniam (Shalimar)
Girls
- 1st Place - Emmalie Langston (Niceville)
- 2nd Place - Madeline Stone (Navarre)
- 3rd Place - Rachel Hester (Navarre)
11/12 years old Age Group
Boys
- 1st Place - Tristan Keith (Niceville)
- 2nd Place - Markus Maloy (Shalimar)
- 3rd Place - Nathan Roberson (Panama City)
Girls
- 1st Place - Kelsey Mead (Tallahassee)
- 2nd Place - Hannah Langston (Niceville)
- 3rd Place - Sara Jane Davis (Tallahassee)
13/14 years old Age Group
Boys
- 1st Place - Logan Gildea (Panama City)
- 2nd Place - Jeff Leach (Destin)
- 3rd Place - Glenn Davis (Tallahassee)
Girls
- 1st Place - Hannah Driscoll (Pensacola)
We thank all of the participants for coming out and wish the best for those advancing to Tampa. We look forward to the next Riggs Newell to advance from Tallahassee to the All-Star Game.
Registration for fall youth sports (tackle football, cheerleading, flag football and girls’ volleyball) will begin next week online and will be open all summer. For more information on the City's Parks, Recreation & Neighborhood Affairs Department, please visit Talgov.com/parks, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or call 891-FUNN (3866).
For more information on all PRNA has to offer, please visit Talgov.com/parks, call 891-FUNN (3866) or like us on Facebook.