If anyone wonders about the value of the Ocracoke Community Park, it would take just a visit and watch the two youth baseball teams play.
By Vince O’Neal and Jim McClain
The Orioles played a doubleheader against the Braves of the Hatteras Island Youth Baseball League on May 5 on their home field at Ocracoke Community Park. They played good team ball in the opener and the bats were hot as starting pitcher Jacob Daniels got plenty of run support. Uriel Guerrero took to the mound for the first time and looked strong in closing out the game for a 14-0 victory.
Uriel also started the second game of the night as the Orioles bats continued to pound out the hits. Finn Kattenberg came in to close out the game as the home team swept the visitors 8 to 3.
The Orioles were away at the Buxton field and took on the Reds on May 12 in a very tight game. The teams fought to a tie at four apiece when the dust settled in a six-inning affair.
The Ocracoke Marlins youth baseball team is playing awesome baseball assessed. coach Jim McClain.
“The Marlins have been having so much fun playing baseball and improving our skills that we really don’t pay attention to the scoreboard until the umpire tells us that the game is over,” said Coach Jim McClain. The Marlins dropped two games in a fierce double-header against Hatteras’ nefarious Dodgers at Ocracoke’s field on May 5.
In this contest, the Marlins’ game balls were awarded to Mau Perez and Brayden Swain for their leadership on the field and their performance at the plate. Mau leads the Marlins at first base and Brayden has learned the challenging position of catcher and hits with power to all fields.
The teams’ scheduled game was rained out on May 8. They boarded the ferry for Buxton on May 12 to play against the always-challenging Mariners. Both teams played an incredible game with great fielding and hitting by both the Mariners and Marlins.
Marlins’ Petros Burleson hit a three-run home run in the second inning to keep Ocracoke in the game as fielders played their best game ever.
Malli Harrell and Charles Hodson got their first base hits in this game and Malli scored a critical run. The game ball in this game went to Duncan McClain who hit 2 for 2, scored two runs and made an amazing play at second base for an inning-closing put-out from short-stop Eli Schweninger.
“I’m so proud of the Marlins,” McClain said. “They are learning so much about baseball and playing together as a team. It is incredible to be a part of this.”
He also thanks his assistant coaches and, most importantly, the ballplayers from the Ocracoke Dolphins Middle-School baseball team who have been coming out to help with practices and pre-game warm-ups.
