This yr’s annual softball recreation honored the Navy SEAL groups’ 60 years of proud warfighting heritage along with the excessive requirements, distinctive capabilities, and energy and variety discovered throughout the Naval Particular Warfare group right this moment.
“Celebrating the sixtieth anniversary of the U.S. Navy SEAL groups alongside one among our most revered and patriotic group companions, the San Diego Padres, is an absolute honor,” stated Drive Grasp Chief Invoice King, Naval Particular Warfare Command. “Our Naval Particular Warfare Sailors, like those you see out on the sphere right this moment, are our biggest energy, and we’re grateful for the chance to supply an entertaining recreation right this moment that permits our servicemembers and their households an opportunity to unwind and interact in America’s favourite pastime.”
The occasion marked the seventh softball recreation between U.S. Navy and Padres alumni, however with a brand new twist. This yr, Padres alumni and Naval Particular Warfare Sailors have been combined amongst the 2 competing groups, every sporting jerseys representing the Padre’s colours, yellow and brown.
“It’s thrilling to have the ability to play in opposition to a few of the legends which are family names in our group,” stated Lt. Zachary Reed. “I’m honored to be chosen for this occasion and grateful that the Padres might share their time with us, particularly in celebration of the sixtieth anniversary of the Navy SEAL groups.”
Notable Padres alumni individuals included Trevor Hoffman, Andy Ashby, Mark Loretta, and Carlos Hernandez.
Drive Grasp Chief King threw out the ceremonial first pitch to start the sport.
To honor Naval Particular Warfare households for his or her help to their family members, the Padres alumni selected two youngsters of a deployed particular operator to announce “Play ball!,” on the recreation’s graduation.
Padres public tackle announcer Alex Miniak learn every participant’s title and supplied stay play-by-play commentary through the recreation.
The bats rang early because the brown group took a commanding 6-0 lead after two innings. The yellow group shortly bounced again and shortened the result in 6-4.
Every group would proceed to commerce dwelling runs in a formidable show of offense. In the end, the brown group’s bats proved too robust as they pulled away late to seal an 18-10 victory.
Service members on base, together with their households, have been handled to meals, children actions, ticket giveaways, stay leisure and a meet-and-greet with members of the Padres alumni group.
“The Padres are implausible companions all the time doing nice issues locally to construct happiness throughout the areas that we name dwelling,” stated Reed. “It’s nice to have the ability to share experiences like this with my household as additionally they make main sacrifices. Being away from dwelling for lengthy stints isn’t simply onerous on servicemembers, it’s onerous on households too. We’re blessed for the chance to have the ability to share the day with our households.”
In line with the Main League Baseball web site, the Padres group is widely known as “the group of the navy” all through skilled sports activities for its longstanding help of the armed forces and its personnel since turning into the primary sports activities group to determine a navy affairs division in 1995.
Since 1962, Naval Particular Warfare has been the nation’s extremely dependable and deadly maritime particular operations drive – all the time able to conduct full-spectrum operations, unilaterally or with companions, in help of nationwide aims and uniquely positioned to increase the Fleet’s attain by delivering all-domain choices for naval and joint drive commanders.
