WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – The Watertown Rapids were back home at the Alex Duffy Fairgrounds Friday hosting the Oneonta Outlaws in PGCBL action.
At the top of the 1st, Oneonta gets on the scoreboard when Andrew Holub singles to left field. Dylan Broderick comes around from 2nd to score: 1-0 Oneonta.
At the bottom of the 1st, the Rapids were down 2-0 when Tyree Bradley hits a shot to the gap in left center that goes for a double. Both Clay Grady and Elvis Lopez score, tying the game at 2.
Still in the 1st, Connor Maxwell hits a grounder to 3rd that’s thrown away. That allows both Bradley and Owen Parliment to score. The Rapids up 4-2 after 1. Watertown goes on to beat Oneonta 12-2.
The Rapids host Boonville Saturday at 2 PM.
The Thousand Islands Challenge softball tournament kicked off it’s weekend Friday morning at the Alex Duffy Fairgrounds with a free clinic for the players in attendance.
Tournament organizer Christopher Tehonica says he feels it’s important for tournaments like this to offer that opportunity for players in times where the cost of this type of instruction isn’t cheap
”We just want to give the kids an opportunity to come here and we try to save the parents some money. You look on Facebook, everything is $190 per kid and stuff like that and we’re just trying to bring this into the community and keep this going,” said Tehonica.
About 80-100 kids were on hand, getting instruction from both high school and college coaches from around the area and around the state.
The players getting hands on lessons in a number of areas to help improve their performance.
”They’re talking about flexibility, hitting, catching, pitching, fielding. We’re just trying to give them a glimpse what it’s like at the next level and we’re trying to get the parents involved,” said Tehonica.
Tehonica says his hope is that everyone in attendance takes something positive away from the 3 hour long clinic that will help them improve their game and one day take their game to the next level.
”This is nothing but positive things. Not getting in anybody’s faces, teaching them the fundamentals, giving them an opportunity. Maybe some of them will come up to be junior college softball players, division 3, division 2, maybe we get 1 or 2 out of here that become Division 1,” said Tehonica.
Future stars of the college game putting in the time and effort to reach their ultimate goal.
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