Nine-year-old Maddy Gomez of Canyon Lake had an exciting moment to remember on Saturday, May 17, when she took to the pitcher’s mound to throw the ceremonial first pitch at the Lake Elsinore Storm baseball game.
Maddy earned this special honor through a fundraiser organized by the Lake Elsinore Girls Softball League, which challenged each player to sell at least six tickets for the league’s fundraiser. Maddy went above and beyond—selling 190 tickets at $5 each. Her effort not only supported her league’s fundraiser but also secured her a coveted spot in the spotlight at the game.
Lake Elsinore Storm was celebrating “Armed Forces Weekend,” so when Maddy was given the option to choose who would catch her pitch, she selected her father, Nick Gomez—a proud U.S. Navy veteran. “It was a special moment for them to share,” Maddy’s mother, Dana Gomez, said. “He’s been a big part of her softball journey.”
