Radnor baseball league dealing with storm damage ahead of fall ball season

RADNOR, Ohio (WCMH) -- Fall baseball season is just around the corner for a Delaware County baseball league, but it is still dealing with damage caused by strong storms earlier this summer.

A wind and rainstorm in July tore off part of the roof of one of the Radnor Youth Athletic Association's (RYAA) dugouts, and although the damaged metal has been moved, the roof is not fixed yet.

“It’s heartbreaking when you see damage done to a place like this," said Joe Thrush, a parent of RYAA players.

Thrush grew up learning how to play baseball on the fields, and he played high school and summer league baseball at them too. Now, his kids are there regularly.

“For us, it’s part of life now, we’re down here about every day with the community," he said.

But the league was dealt some unexpected challenges this summer: the storm in July was not the only one that caused damage. Several weeks after that, another strong summer storm rolled through, and it knocked over part of the fence on the RYAA's smaller field.

“It just felt like, 'OK, what are we doing wrong and why are all the storms landing like literally right there?'" said Molly Turner, the RYAA treasurer.

With fall ball starting soon, parents and organizers want to make sure the fields are ready. They have planned a community cleanup at the fields starting at 10 a.m. Saturday.

"Anything is better than nothing, is kind of what philosophy we’re going with," Turner said. "We do need as many people as possible to get things done and get things squared away for the kids. That's ultimately what we’re doing it for, is for the kids."