Freeport International Games Begin at 11AM

A dozen games are scheduled in today’s Freeport International Baseball Invitational.

Kicking off the week’s 58-game schedule include 11AM games pitting the Tri-Continental Roos (Japan/Australia/Israel/USA) against the Bucs Baseball Legion at Freeport Boro’s James Swartz Field or Armstrong Legion versus France (the Papy Hawks) at Kittanning/Ford City Field.

Directions to both fields are available at the invitational’s website.

After reportedly arriving in Freeport Saturday, the French team also took in a Major League Baseball Pittsburgh Pirates game Sunday afternoon while they were in the region – a game that finished as a 5-4 Pirates victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.

According to the team’s Facebook event page, the Papy Hawks (from the city of Rennes, the 10th largest town in France) also were treated to a BBQ Sunday evening.

Besides the Papy Hawks and American Legion, 20 other baseball teams from around the world – including the Roos – and locally – such as from Burrell, Kiski and Apollo - will “compete” – even if there is no ultimate “winning team.”

The week concludes with an International vs. USA game at 8PM Saturday at James Swartz Field.

FIBI President Chuck Sarver explained the final game and other closing activities began a dozen years ago.

“In our tenth anniversary we started the USA vs. World game, because the 8:00 PM game at Freeport was the place to be. We have Zambelli fireworks after the game and we have been doing it ever since. We have coaches select X amount of American players and X amount of international players and we play by major league rules,” Sarver said last week.

A game schedule for all teams is also available on the organization’s website.

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