Hank Tripaldi’s grand slam in the top of the seventh inning in the Northern California Division I championship against Valley Christian was more than just a high school baseball memory of a lifetime for him and his De La Salle teammates.
It was a hit he dedicated to his mother.
Robin Tripaldi died after a battle with breast cancer on April 25, and Hank has always kept her on his mind on and off the field.
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“I love her. I miss her. I did it for her,” he told the Mercury News.
It’s why Tripaldi pointed to the sky while rounding the bases before a massive celebration with his teammates as the grand slam made it an 11-8 lead, which became the final score of the championship.
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Tripaldi’s teammates played a big role in helping him through this tough time for him and his family. He continued to fight through the remaining weeks and games of the season, and he attributed their support to doing so.
“The only way I was able to get through it was coming to baseball practice, playing games, hanging out with my buddies,” Tripaldi said. “These are going to be my friends forever.”
Players and coaches for De La Salle were seen wearing green wristbands during the game to support Tripaldi.
“We all love each other so much,” Tripaldi’s teammate, Kai Smith, told the Mercury News. “He’s like a family member to us. What a Spartan way. How beautiful is that for him.”
Alec Blair added, “It’s unbelievable. He’s such a good guy, too. I couldn’t be prouder of him.”
Tripaldi hit two homers in this championship game, but head coach David Jeans said that his last for De La Salle prior to that came with his mother watching from the stands.
“She really appreciated him as a ballplayer, as a son. We’ve just been supporting him,” Jeans said.
With the victory, De La Salle celebrated back-to-back regional titles.
