Team Burgh Crushes Team World, Celeb Softball a Success
WASHINGTON, Pa. (July 15) – In the 3rd-annual Three Rivers Celebrity Softball Game, presented by The Coury Firm, at Wild Things Park, both of the star-studded teams from all walks of life showed off the power and athleticism with benefits going to the Cameron Heyward Foundation, as Team Burgh defeated Team World 16-6.
Team World was strong in the batter’s box from the very beginning, with a two-run bomb in the first inning from former Pittsburgh Panther football player Jim Medure. NFL defensive lineman Tyson Alualu backed that up with another homer, making it 3-0 World just as quick as it started.
Balls were flying out of the yard early in this game, which happened to be a line of cones set in the outfield at around 225 feet at Wild Things Park. Sophomore starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Kenny Pickett, answered the bell with a solo home run to the appeal of the crowd, and former NFL player Dorin Dickerson hit his own two-run shot, tying the game.
With Team Burgh leading 4-3 in the second, World played small ball with a whole bunch of singles and a few fielder’s choices, until Adam Crowley hit a double to score one run and then a throwing error by Steelers linebacker Alex Highsmith scored Miss USA, Morgan Romano and Karisella Snow, putting them ahead 6-4.
Pickett went yard again to tie up the game at six in the second frame, scoring Carolina Panthers’ tailback Miles Sanders, and making him a perfect 2-for-2 with four RBI on the night. Team Burgh drove in another run on an RBI groundout for Steelers’ All-Pro defensive lineman and event host, Cam Heyward, that gave the Burgh a 7-6 lead.
Team Burgh didn’t want to slow down with the small lead though, after they reached the strict five-run per inning limit in the third frame. Connor Heyward, fellow Steelers tight end and brother of Cam, nuked a two-run homer into right field to jumpstart the batting. This homer scored Pat Freiermuth, the Steelers’ starting tight end who is entering his third season in the NFL this fall.
Highsmith capped off the huge inning with another homer, one that almost landed in the traditional warning track at Wild Things Park.Highsmith decided to rip the seams off another softball in his final plate appearance, after he hammered a ball near the turf warning track once again, which was the nail in the coffin for Team World. After a high-powered show of strength in the batter’s box, Team Burgh won convincingly in only five innings, 16-6.
Team Burgh even put on a clinic after the game, winning a Home Run Derby between the two teams with a score of 10-7, led by Freiermuth and Pickett, who hit three and four bombs, respectively.
