Ballard High School Senior Hits Home Run On The Day Of Her Mother’s Funeral

This one is bittersweet…grab the tissues!

On Monday, Ballard High School senior Sydney Martin’s mother was laid to rest, after a long battle with cancer. Later that day, Martin joined her softball team in the Seventh Region final against Louisville Male.

“Everybody kept asking me over and over again if I was going to play,” said Martin. “Some people said that I shouldn’t, some people said that I should.” Sydney is a senior outfielder at Ballard, but she was still undecided about playing until right after her mom’s funeral. “I knew that she wanted me to finish it out,” “So, I knew in the back of my head that I was going to do it, no matter what.”

“The count was three-two, and I fouled off a bunch and then I got my pitch,” said Martin. “When I did hit it, I knew it was gone. I knew it was gone. It felt really good, and I was rounding the bases and started jumping on my way to second and then I started crying.”

It was a three-run homer that gave Ballard the lead for good. It was her first home run of the season. The whole team were all screaming jumping up and down greeting her at home plate…super emotional for everyone.

Ballard won 8-3 and win the regional title and will play in the state tourney this weekend for the first time since 2018. 

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