When the Brooklyn Cyclones took on the Connecticut Tigers at MCU Park, Coney Island, July 28, nearly 250 baseball fans turned out to support Catholic education in Brooklyn and Queens while rooting for the home team.

The Cyclones annually partner with the Futures in Education Foundation to host Going to Bat for Catholic Education Night at the ballpark. Part of the proceeds from each ticket sold was donated to support need‐based scholarships Futures provides to children attending local Catholic schools. Futures also sold raffles; auctioned Cyclones autographed memorabilia and VIP packages; and gave away Futures’ T-shirts and hats.

Maureen Fitzpatrick, a parishioner from St. Patrick’s parish, Bay Ridge, who purchased the most tickets in support of Futures, was invited to throw out the first pitch for the 7 p.m. game. But she passed that honor onto her granddaughter, Ciara Fernandez, a fifth grader at St. Michael’s School, Netcong, N.J., who not only threw out the ball but also met Cyclone catcher Nelfi Zapata. The Cyclones went onto a 2-1 victory.