Photo Provided Players from Beverly Lowell Post 389/750 and St. Clairsville Post 159 gathered in a circle Thursday night to offer a prayer for an umpire who had a medical issue during their game at Fort Frye High School. The game was suspended in the bottom of the third inning with St. Clairsville leading 4-3, but with the bases loaded with Beverly Lowell runners.

BEVERLY – Beverly Lowell Post 389/750 and St. Clairsville Post 159 have developed quite an American Legion Baseball rivalry over the last decade or so. However, Thursday night’s game between the two squads in Washington County turned out to be bigger than the game itself.

During the bottom of the third inning with St. Clairsville ahead 4-3 but Beverly Lowell had the bases loaded. That’s when an unfortunate incident occurred.

“I had just made a pitching change and was walking back to the dugout when I heard someone yell,” St. Clairsville Post 159 manager Mike Muklewicz recalled. “I instinctively looked towards home plate and the umpire was undergoing some type of medical issue.

“Myself, members of my (coaching) staff and Beverly Lowell manager Todd Engle, along with his staff, rushed to the plate and helped the gentlemen to the ground,” Muklewicz continued. “Todd looked at me and asked if there were any medical personnel in our fan base. I knew one of our players’ (Jaxon Starks) mom (Tegwen) was a nurse of some type, so we got her onto the field and she rendered aid before 9-1-1 was called.”

Muklewicz said the E-Squad entered the field through a gate in right field and drove immediately to the home plate area where a host of individuals were tending to the fallen umpire.

“I just asked him what was going on and his history, he had a pretty big cardiac history. And then I checked his blood pressure and oxygen and pulse,” she said Friday afternoon via social media. “I didn’t do much, just what comes natural to me.”

According to reports, the umpire, who was not named, declined further medical treatment.

“In 20-plus years of being around baseball, I have never seen anything like that,” Muklewicz noted. “That was definitely not on my bingo card last night, but I’m proud of my team, as well as Beverly Lowell, for how they handled the situation.

“As coaches, we are trying to teach these young kids the game of baseball, but at times, they learn the game of life, as well,” Miklewicz said. “They handled themselves in a professional manner.”

The game was suspended at the point it was halted. Muklewicz said the teams will try and finish it before the regularly scheduled game in St. Clairsville on July 8.

Following the announcement of the suspended game, players from both teams knelt in a circle to offer a prayer for the umpire.