Batters Beat the Heat at Balls-N-Strikes Batting Cages

opened in Brentwood last spring, and the facility is offering a number of summer clinics.

A group of nine area boys had a blast during a morning hitting clinic last week. The inside facility was a great place to be in the summer heat.

The boys broke up into two teams for competitions, like a home run derby (they were the Cookie Monsters vs. the Storm Clouds). The hitting team hit a foam ball off a tee while the opposing team fielded. Some were dead serious and others did Happy Gilmore impersonations when taking their turn at bat.

One of two instructors, Cie Arell, a physical education major at Lincoln University, said having fun is a goal, so he had no problem with a little silliness. He said being bored is much worse.

Each day starts with an aspect of hitting fundamentals, then they play a game to put it into practice, and wrap it up with another fun game.

There is a lunch break, and pitching instruction follows that.

Balls-N-Strikes is open seven days a week at 1427 Strassner Drive in Brentwood. The facility is open to anyone, whether you're looking for a summer clinic or want to rent the cages for a couple hours.

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