Sports
Softball with a Special Significance
The 8th Annual Clearwater/Largo Charity Softball Game was a major hit this year. It featured three departments including the St. Petersburg department that fielded a team against a combined Clearwater and Largo Police Department.
The 8th Annual Clearwater/Largo Charity Softball Game was a major hit this year.
More than 200 people came out for the fundraiser softball game that supports fallen St. Petersburg Police Sgt. Thomas Baitinger and officers Jeffrey Yaslowitz and David Crawford.
The day was a host of activities, including the softball game fielded by a combined Largo/Clearwater Police Department team against a St. Petersburg Police department team. The Largo/Clearwater team won 19-11.
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"They (St.Pete) never had a chance, " said Largo Police chief John Carroll. "We got to cherry pick all the best players from both departments and put together an all-star team. It certainly gave us an unfair advantage."
The Largo/Clearwater team jumped out early, scoring three runs in the first and two in the second. Brad Baker, batting third came very close to hitting one out of the park in the top of the third. St.Pete got two back in their half of the first and second innings.
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St.Pete tied the game in the fifth inning off a huge hit from David Brody that hit the left field wall and sent two runs across. Then they took the lead off a bloop single as Brody ran in for the score.
Largo/Clearwater shelled them for the rest of the game, dropping five runs in the 6th inning and a huge seven run inning in the 7th. They finished with two more runs in the 8th and 9th innings.
But, the event is so much more than a softball game.
"The city manager of Largo is here, all sorts of civilian employees came. It really demonstrates what a close-knit community we have here," Carroll said.
Aside from the game, there were vendors from all over Pinellas County, there was a silent auction designed to raise money for the fallen officers' families, there were jungle gyms and amusement-style games for the kids.
After the softball game, everyone got to see the Clearwater Threshers play the Tampa Yankees.
Organizers said the event was a huge success and did a great deal of good for a great many people, especially those families who lost loved ones.
"It's great to see everyone out here," said Clearwater Chief Anthony Holloway. "We really want to give back to the families, let them know we care about them."