Yesterday I was fortunate to be on hand to see the Las Vegas 51s players join the Nevada Blind Children’s Foundation spring break campers for a game of “Beep Baseball”

51s players divided into two teams to coach and assist NBCF campers.  It was wonderful to see the players assist the blind and visually impaired children to the game of baseball.  Besides participating in the game, the kids got to tour the stadium, meet the players and of course, take a team photo with the team mascot, Cosmo!  It was truly rewarding for me to watch the smiles on the faces and overhear the kids when they were about to meet Cosmo.  One of the children made a comment about “meeting a real alien.”

Although the 51s ended up going on to lose their second home game of the season against the Fresno Grizzlies, it’s always important to remember that baseball is so much more than a game. Opportunities like this are important to expose blind and visually impaired children to the opportunities available to them in our community AND to educate our community to the needs and abilities of blind and visually impaired individuals.

The Grizzlies defeated the 51s, 7-4, in game two of the four-game series (tied 1-1) and the seven-game homestand before a crowd of 2,974 at Cashman Field.

Fresno scored five runs in the second inning and right-hander Keegan Yuhl recorded the victory with six solid innings and allowed five hits, two runs, walked four and struck out five.

Las Vegas second baseman Gavin Cecchini was 3-for-5 with a double and run scored; left fielder Matt Reynolds was 2-for-5 with an RBI and DH Jayce Boyd was 2-for-4 with a double, RBI, and run scored.

Game three of the series is Thursday on Budweiser Dollar Beer Night at 7:05 p.m.