Share
Sports

Pitcher rushes to batter's side after striking him out for championship win

Share

In sports we see the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. But it’s not often that we see another emotion — compassion for those suffering the agony of defeat.

However, in a Minnesota high school baseball section championship game Wednesday night between Totino-Grace and Mounds View, we saw a great example of that compassion.

For the final out of the game, Mounds View pitcher Ty Koehn struck out Totino-Grace’s Jack Kocon to seal the 17-10 victory that allowed the Mustangs to advance to the state championships.

While his teammates spilled out onto the field to celebrate the thrill of victory, Koehn ran toward the batter he struck out and embraced him, reported Bring Me the News.

Trending:
KJP Panics, Hangs Up in Middle of Interview When Reporter Shows He Isn't a Democratic Party Propagandist

Then, after consoling the batter, Koehn joined his team in the celebration.

It turns out Koehn and Kocon are good friends.

“We are very close friends,” Koehn told Bring Me the News. “I knew him from all the way back when we were 13. We were on the same little league team. It was tough when we went to separate schools, but we kept in touch.”

“I knew the game was going to keep going or it was going to end right there,” Koehn said.

“I knew I had to say something. Our friendship is more important than just the silly outcome of a game. I had to make sure he knew that before we celebrated. It was more instinct, it just felt right,” he added.

The Mounds View coaching staff is proud of Koehn and his teammates.

“Pitcher Ty Koehn consoling the batter after the last out. Extremely proud of all you have accomplished so far this season. More proud of who you guys are – great teammates and classy young men,” the staff tweeted.

Related:
College Football Coach Goes Viral as He Glorifies God in Rousing Speech After Title Win

“Ty’s actions the other night do not surprise me and are reflective of what I might expect from any one of the players on the team,” coach Mark Downey added in an email to Bring Me the News.

“All really great kids, just a joy to be around on a daily basis,” he said.

That’s sportsmanship at its best.

Truth and Accuracy

Submit a Correction →



We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:
, , ,
Share
Dave is a lifelong sports fan who has been writing for The Wildcard since 2017. He has been a writer for more than 20 years for a variety of publications.
Dave has been writing about sports for The Wildcard since 2017. He's been a reporter and editor for over 20 years, covering everything from sports to financial news. In addition to writing for The Wildcard, Dave has covered mutual funds for Pensions and Investments, meetings and conventions, money market funds, personal finance, associations, and he currently covers financial regulations and the energy sector for Macallan Communications. He has won awards for both news and sports reporting.
Location
Massachusetts
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Sports




Conversation