Swing batter, batter, batter, swing!!

Thursday, April 26, was a beautiful day for baseball.

The sky was blue, the air was warm, there were no puddles on the fields and Brande Abbott was thankful. The scheduled opening day for the Salem ball fields was scheduled for Monday, when it rained most of the day. Weather was equally dreary the next day and Abbott, who picked up Denise Newkirk’s position as the head of the Salem Parks and Rec, said they try to avoid having games Wednesday nights, so she was hoping the fields would be dry enough and the skies clear enough to finally get the season’s games started.

“We truly didn’t experience an opening day because of the weather, but hopefully, next year, we can have a bigger event,” she said. “Everything’s been running smoothly, though. The kids look like they’re having fun.”

This is Abbott’s first year heading up the program, but not her first year involved. She has two sons, 11 and 12, who both play in the program. Ten teams were playing Thursday evening, from T-ball to 12U and their fans lined the stands.

“I hope it’s a great season for the kids,” said Abbott. “I hope they learn something and take away something from this year.”

Click here for a link to the online gallery of photos: http://salemleader.com/photos/opening-day-ball-fields