An Ohio council hosts an annual softball game to build community among Knights and parishioners from two local parishes
Taking his lead off first base, Scott Deering turned on the jets when his teammate slugged an extra-base hit into the outfield. Nearing third base with sights set on home, Deering barreled past the third base coach’s signal to stop. The ball arrived just as Deering slid feet-first into home plate.
“Safe!” came the umpire’s emphatic call, his outstretched arms visible through a cloud of dust — another run for the squad from St. Aloysius Parish in Bowling Green, Ohio.
“That was the highlight of the game,” said Michael Ginnetti, Deering’s teammate and deputy grand knight of Holy Trinity Council 6373. “We’re still talking about it.”
Deering’s sprint around the bases came during the council’s summer softball game on July 27, an interparish competition between Knights from St. Aloysius and St. Thomas More University Parish at Bowling Green State University.
Council 6373 has placed a special emphasis in recent years on building community between the two parishes, both of which it has been affiliated for decades. For Knights who compete in the annual matchup, the fire of competition is overridden only by a resounding spirit of fraternity — permeating the inconsequential rivalries of neighboring parishes.
“We haven’t always worked as a single team,” said Grand Knight Todd Grillot, regarding the Catholic community in Bowling Green. “This game brings both parishes together, through the council. It’s been an absolute blessing to see.”
The first installment of what is now an annual tradition came in 2022, coinciding with the council’s 50th anniversary, but the game has quickly become a beloved tradition that members look forward to year-round.
“The game was hardly even over in 2022, and everyone was already saying, ‘We are absolutely doing that again next year,’” Ginnetti said.
While most of the players are council members, the Knights also use the game as an opportunity to invite college students who have not yet joined the Order. Father Peter Grodi, pastor of the university parish and a brother Knight, said the softball game introduces college students to the Knights, showing them what it looks like when men intentionally seek to live a Catholic life and serve their community.
“They are so frequently surrounded with counterexamples to Christian living,” Father Grodi said. “They really need to be inspired by older men. They have the energy and strength which, when paired up with the experience and skills of older men, can get a lot of things done.”
The game is also a family affair, with wives and dozens of children cheering from the stands. It becomes a natural way for Knights to introduce their older sons to their fraternity.
Michael Obringer, son of council member Nick Obringer, has been invited to join the softball game for the past several years.
“It’s fun being able to joke around with adults I grew up with and see them as brothers,” said Michael, who is currently a sophomore studying mechanical engineering at the University of Toledo.
Michael added that while he is currently focusing on earning his degree, he plans to join the Knights soon. “Brotherhood really helps the faith grow as a community,” he said. “It’s a great bonding experience.”
While some young men and college students have gone on to become members of Council 6373 through this game, the hope is that others will go on to join the Knights at their respective colleges and parishes.
“College Knights get us fired up,” Grillot said. “It’s easy as an older man to get complacent. Younger Knights want to try new things, and that gets us thinking that it’s not enough to just do what we have been doing; we need to do more. It keeps us active.”
After nine innings of back-and-forth scoring, the Knights from St. Aloysius came out on top, with a final tally of 22-16. In addition to bragging rights, the winning parish lays claim to the coveted Father Michael McGivney Cup — a trophy featuring engraved plaques with the scores of each year’s game — to be displayed at their parish until the next game. With this year’s game, St. Aloysius tied St. Thomas More at two wins apiece.
About 150 family members and parishioners (including the Knights), came this year to enjoy the game and smoked barbecue picnic afterward. The kids were also invited to run the bases between innings.
“We want to form men as the leaders of their family and we want to incorporate their families into what we’re doing,” Ginnetti said. “This is something the kids can look forward to being a part of one day.”
Knights from Council 6373 affirm the relationship between the two parishes has strengthened as a result of the game, even as they help with events and service projects at each other’s parish as needed. They also collaborate often with councils in nearby cities and have discussed eventually expanding the softball game to include those councils.
“Men evangelize and build relationships by doing things together,” Ginnetti said. “The softball game is something the younger Knights have taken ownership and leadership of. They are the next generation. It’s a good feeling to know that our council is going to be around for another 50 years.”