By Tom Hickey
Special to The Review
When the third hitter on the Rumble V Band sponsored baseball team stepped to the plate on Wednesday night, the opposing pitcher wound up and threw a pitch just like he would to any other hitter.
And when that hitter knocked a groundball to the shortstop for the first hit of the game, her mom cheered as any other mom would.
And when she ran continuously from first base to home as the ball was thrown around the infield, her teammates welcomed her in the dugout as they would any other player.
But one thing was different about this scene: the player was Alexandra Carpenter, the only girl on the field. And the only girl on her team. And the only girl in the Lake Orion Youth Baseball League’s junior division.
Alexandra is her team’s number three hitter and pitcher, both of which are positions always reserved for a great player. Alexandra is no exception.
‘She’s very talented,? says Rumble V Band Coach Dave Klein. ‘She sets an example. She plays baseball with a passion.?
When she was six, Alexandra’s father told Alexandra that she could play in either the girls? softball league or the boys? hardball league.
‘She wanted to stick with baseball,? says mom, Rose.
Alexandra says she choose hardball, ‘because I can’t grip the big softball with my hand, so I didn’t like playing softball.?
It is clear from her success both on the baseball field and in the dugout that she made the right decision.
Alexandra asserts that she gets along fine with all of the boys, and both her coach and her mother agree.
‘She gets along great,? says Klein. ?[Being the only girl] is never an issue.?
If everything goes her way, Alexandra will continue to play on hardball teams when she reaches high school.
‘She wants to stick with baseball,? her mother says. ‘As long as they let her play. I don’t know if they will let her play baseball as she gets into junior high and high school. It would be nice.?