Rec Softball Firecracker Haley Luna stands in the dugout during her team's match-up with the Grizzlers on Wednesday. Luna and a few of her teammates wore Band-Aids with Hope written on them for their injured bat girl.

Hope was gone.

Hope Luna, the Parks and Recreation Rec Softball Firecracker’s bat girl, had been injured last week.

She was hit in the nose with a bat and her nose was broken. She had to have surgery to fix her nose and the team that she worked so hard for wanted to show their support.

Many of the Firecrackers wore Band-Aids over the bridge of their nose, with Hope written on it.

With Hope Luna on their mind, the Firecrackers played an evenly matched game against the Grizzlers.

After the one-hour time limit, the two Rec League teams found themselves in a 6-6 tie Wednesday at Youth Sports Inc.

“Both teams played excellent defense. The bats weren’t working, but there were lots of excellent plays,” Grizzlers head coach Fred Bell said.

Firecracker head coach, Melissa Foster, echoed that. “They played a good close game. These were really well matched teams.”

Foster said the scores of the Recreation Softball games are usually in the teens.

The Grizzlers struck first in the top of the first inning. Lead-off batter, Cheyenne Culley, moved around the bases to score the only run either team scored in the first inning. Two of the Firecrackers were thrown out at first base and the last batter was struck out. In the top of the second, the Grizzlers struck again. The second, third and fourth batters up for the Grizzlers, McKenzie Edmonds, Madison Jenkins and Kiana Daboda, scored the three Grizzler runs in the top of the second.

“Both teams tried really hard. I’m proud of their team and mine,” Grizzler Makayla Bell said about the game.

Rec Softball Firecracker Haley Luna stands in the dugout during her team's match-up with the Grizzlers on Wednesday. Luna and a few of her teammates wore Band-Aids with Hope written on them for their injured bat girl.

The Firecrackers scored runs in the bottom of the second, as Firecracker Ellen Dalager scored off of an error.

Firecracker Amara Brown also scored a run, to bring the score to 4-2, in favor of the Grizzlers.

In the top of the third, Grizzler player Kearston Mohney hit a ball that flew right back at her coach, who was pitching to her. Mohney made her way to first base and later scored to give her team a 5-2 lead.

The Firecrackers shot back and scored three runs in the bottom of the third. Isabelle Haake, Sydney Buller and Hayley Luna each scored a run. At the bottom of the third, the score was tied 5-5.

In the next two innings, each team scored one run.

“This is the best hustle game I’ve seen,” Fred Bell said.

Because of the one-hour time limit, the teams could not play any extra innings.