The Blessings From Baseball

Don and Wanda Johnson and Steve and Cyndi Berry have spent their lives following their three sons through thick and thin that the game of baseball provides.  There has been more ups than downs through their trek of a parent following their children play the game they love.

Between the two families they have been to state little league championships, state championships in Babe Ruth, Regionals in Babe Ruth and even World Series at the Babe Ruth, State High School Championship  and even an American a Legion state championship and last week two of their sons went to the next level when two took part in a regional college baseball playoff.  Saturday another step  in climbing the mountain as two sons have made it to the Division II College World Series in Cary.

Saturday Lander University made their first appearance in the D2 World Series in Cary with Thomas Berry as the teams DH and assistant coach and the third base base coach Britt Johnson.  The Berry and Johnson clans were well represented in Cary as each family took up about three rows a piece of grand parents, aunts and uncles, brother and sisters and of course mama and daddy's.  My guess there were probably 100 or so that call Rocky Mount home there to cheer for our home boys.

Lander took on Chico State from California who is making their ninth trip in the last 18 years to the World Series.  The World Series is being played at the National Training Center at the USA Baseball Complex just about three miles from the end of the south runways at RDU Airport.  The incoming planes were just high enough to not be disturbing.

Lander scores three runs in the bottom of the seventh to take a 6-4 lead and two innings later that would be the final score.  Chico had the tying runs on second and third as the last out was made. This was an intense game with the only distraction being the umpire behind the plate.  He was consistently inconsistent.  Thomas Berry went 0-4 but reached base the hard way with a hit by pitch, while Britt was able to wave home from the third base coaching box five of the six runs.  One scored
on a base on balls.

Lander moves on in the winners bracket for a Monday afternoon  at 5pm game with Southern Indiana.  The Johnson's and Berry's will take away From this tournament the thrill of winning at least one game during the ultimate of their children's baseball lives.  We never know what is around the corner of our lives and neither family may never get the feeling they had at games end knowing that their child won on the big stage of baseball.

What a blessing baseball has been for them  and what a blessing it was for me to be there to share the moment with them. Hope there is more to come.