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The appearance of a furry fourth outfielder sent players scurrying for the dugouts at a high school baseball game in Simsbury Tuesday.
As the final out of the third or fourth inning of a JV contest between Simsbury and Plainville was being recorded, players, coaches and spectators spotted a black bear beyond the unguarded outfield grass, prompting the enaction of “emergency action plan” measures, according to Simsbury High Athletic Director Jeff Pinney. Simsbury Black Bear Sighting Simsbury High JV players were in the process of recording the final out of an inning when the black bear was sighted. (Courtesy of Scott Kerr)
Pinney said the situation was handled in accordance with how the school would react to the appearance of a wild animal on campus, which would result in a lockdown and an evacuation to the “safest close location.”
In this case the players were sheltered in the dugouts while an on-site trainer rode a golf cart through the area where the bear had been seen. It moved along quickly and the game was resumed, Pinney said.
“It happens,” he said, citing the heavily wooded area surrounding the school’s athletic fields. “It’s certainly a little bit outside the realm of typical athletic department activity, but we’re always making sure kids are safe.”
