Ridgefield's Elizabeth Peery, right, along with MLB Pitch Hit & Run finalists Mariah Harrison of Fort Mitchell, Ala., left, and Danica Gutierrez of Maricopa, Ariz., representing the Arizona Diamondbacks, at Cleveland's Progressive Field on Saturday, July 6, 2019. Harrison won the 11-12 softball age group with Gutierrez second and Peery third. (MLB Pitch Hit & Run photo)
Ridgefield’s Elizabeth Peery, 12, finished in third place in her age group at the national finals of the MLB Pitch Hit & Run competition on Saturday at Progressive Field in Cleveland.
Mariah Harrison of Fort Mitchell, Ala., representing the Atlanta Braves, placed first in the age group, followed by Danica Gutierrez of Maricopa, Ariz., representing the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Peery, who turns 13 later this month, will be an eighth-grade student at View Ridge Middle School in Ridgefield and competes at a high level despite having type 1 diabetes. She is a pitcher and infielder for her traveling softball team, Shockwave U14.
Her path to Cleveland started by winning a local Pitch Hit & Run competition hosted by Ridgefield Little League. She then won a sectional at the Hillsboro Hops’ Ron Tonkin Stadium to advance to T-Mobile Park in Seattle for the Mariners team final on June 23.
Each participant gets six throws at a strike zone target to earn points, three swings at a ball on a tee for distance, and runs from second base to home plate for time.
“We’ve already won being top three in the country and Canada,” Elizabeth’s mother Katie said prior to the trip to Cleveland. “Even if she gets third, that’s OK.”
The 12 girls and 12 boys finalists in the four age divisions for softball and baseball attended a variety of All-Star Game weekend events like the Futures Game, celebrity softball game, baseball festival and music concert. They also get to attend batting practice and the Home Run Derby.
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