High School Baseball Player Honors Late Mom with Grand Slam

A young baseball player in California had one special person on his mind Saturday when he made an unforgettable hit.

The crowd went wild the moment Hank Tripaldi made a grand slam during the top of the seventh inning at the Northern California Division I championship, Fox News reported Sunday.

Video footage shows the incredible moment when the bases are loaded and Tripaldi sends the ball flying out of the park, then celebrates with his Spartan teammates:

However, the championship game against Valley Christian is now an extra special high school memory because he dedicated the grand slam to his mother, Robin, who died of breast cancer on April 25.

“I love her. I miss her. I did it for her,” the young athlete explained.

The massive hit put the team at an 11 to 8 lead, and that was the final score of the game.

“A huge CONGRATULATIONS to our Spartan baseball team for securing the NorCal Championship a few minutes ago. And a special shout out to Hank Tripaldi for the amazing grand slam at the top of the 7th (his second home run of the day),” De La Salle High School of Concord wrote in a social media post on Saturday.

An image shows the team posing for a celebratory photo together:

The young man’s teammates were there every step of the way following his family’s loss. Their support inspired him to keep playing, and he said, “These are going to be my friends forever.”

When speaking of the young man’s mother, coach David Jeans noted, “She really appreciated him as a ballplayer, as a son. We’ve just been supporting him.”