THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | FRIDAY, MAY 2, 2008

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100-Innings Games To Benefit Baseball Programs

By BOBBY CHILVER

Journal Sports

A 100-inning baseball game in one day?

Sounds impossible, right?

Well, okay, it's not a real game but both Elk Grove and Prospect high schools are playing these 100-inning contests this spring as fundraisers for their programs.

Elk Grove is holding its this Saturday while Prospect is scheduled to play their's this coming Saturday.

As part of the event, four teams are made up of players from each level. Pitching machines are used on the varsity and freshman diamonds and the teams simply play for about 50 innings on each field. Each player has picked up sponsors for the event and money raised goes back into improving each school's baseball programs.

But of course every game has to have a winner but each school is finding that winner in different ways. At Elk Grove, teams will play a "king of the hill" type system where 9-innings are played and the winner stays on the varsity field while the loser heads to the freshman field. The last team standing after 100 innings is the winner.

At Prospect, the team with the most runs after their 50 innings wins the event.

After the games, which usually last about three hours, parents fire up the barbeque and players, family and friends all get to chow down.

"The kids love it," Elk Grove coach Terry Beyna said. "It's a really nice day."

Prospect coach Ross Giusti said it is also a great way for the school's baseball program to unite, as different age levels are usually spread across different locations during the season.

"It gives everyone an opportunity to meet one another and see each other," Giusti said.

So if you think a 100-inning game is impossible, think again.

Just be happy they have pitching machines to handle the tough work or else there might be a line of high schoolers waiting for "Tommy John" surgery.