UNEARNED….IT’S ALL ABOUT GRACE!
Sunday, September 18th, 2011
In baseball or softball, an unearned run means the base runner got on base (or scored) due to an error and the pitcher is not charged with the run. In the dictionary sense of the word, it is something which a person was not qualified to receive, but was given anyway.This past June 3, Coach Josh Maxwell’s Shelbyville (IL.) Rams Girls High School softball team was playing the Alton Marquette team in the Illinois Class 2A state semifinals at Eastside Centre (East Peoria, Illinois). Coach Maxwell’s mother had just died one hour before game time. It was the top of the 3rd inning when Marquette’s all-star pitcher Alexis Silkwood blew an easy throw off a bunt to second base. This led to the only run of the entire game later on, due to a wild pitch by Silkwood, who had just an awful game that day. It was an unearned run.
Two things to note about this win for Coach, just hours after his dear mother passed away – it was an error in throwing….add this to a wild pitch by Marquette’s ace pitcher caused advanced the Rams’ base runners to score. Secondly, they did nothing to earn it. They only showed up to play.
You know, there are so many we can say about Grace (like this real-life example)! It is said the old traditional hymns have more much more theology than the new worship songs, and they are correct! The ones about Grace have not only stood the test of time, but speak to us powerfully, even today! The Praise and Worship music of Chris Tomlin or the Gateway Worship band of Texas or Hillsong of Australia is amazing.
