MacArthur, Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK make pitch against autism
Haley Causeman, 14, right, with her dad, Vin, throws out a first pitch before a Nassau baseball game between MacArthur and Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK on Saturday, April 15, 2023. Credit: NEIL MILLER
The players from MacArthur and Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK took their places along the first- and third-bases lines for Saturday’s pregame ceremony. The words on the front and back of their special colorful jerseys told the story of this day being about more than just baseball.
On the front, the words were the same for all: “Strike Out AUTISM.”
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The players from MacArthur and Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK took their places along the first- and third-bases lines for Saturday’s pregame ceremony. The words on the front and back of their special colorful jerseys told the story of this day being about more than just baseball.
On the front, the words were the same for all: “Strike Out AUTISM.”
On the back, above the numbers, well, it varied from “AWARENESS” to “KINDNESS” to “ACCEPTANCE” to “SUPPORT.”
Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK then ended up scoring four in the sixth to come back and win, 6-4, in this annual autism awareness and acceptance game at MacArthur between these teams from different Nassau conferences.
“It’s special,” Hawks coach John Givargidze said. “I always tell our guys we’re lucky. We don’t have any issues that we have to deal with on top of everything else that the world throws at us. So it’s a good eye-opener for them.”
This is Vin Causeman’s cause.
The former all-county shortstop for MacArthur, who’s now a social studies teacher there, founded the game in 2016.
His son, 16-year-old Ryan, and his daughter, 14-year-old Haley, are on the autism spectrum. They were among those throwing out ceremonial first pitches.
The Skip Fund, created in honor of Causeman’s late former teammate, Anthony Mariano, donated the jerseys. The Wantagh-based John Theissen Children’s Foundation also donated toward the event. Proceeds from raffle sales at the game are going to Seaford’s Hagedorn Little Village School for kids with developmental disabilities.
“It’s so important for the community to come together and continue to spread awareness and acceptance for people living with autism,” Causeman said. “We’ve made great strides.”
Pinch hitter Peter Bounougias capped the sixth-inning rally for the Hawks (5-2) against reliever Ryan Tam with a two-run single, making it 6-3.
Reliever Logan McGrath allowed two runs and struck out seven over the final four innings to earn the victory in his varsity debut. The junior lefty yielded a run in the seventh, but he fanned the last two batters, stranding two in scoring position.
“It means a lot to me to help the team win,” McGrath said.
Tam delivered three RBIs and James Eden rocked a solo homer among his three hits for MacArthur (6-1-1).
“It’s a great day,” Generals coach Steve Costello said, emphasizing the bigger picture. “I think both Coach Giv at Plainview and myself were also using it as a way to kind of audition pitchers.”