Iowa City’s Fight With Flash Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit designed to support families affected by a cancer diagnosis of their child or young adult, held a charity baseball event Saturday, June 6, in Solon.
The event, titled Crosstown Classic, was hosted at the Solon High School baseball field, and featured three separate boys’ baseball matchups between Solon, Iowa City High, Regina Catholic, Iowa City West High, Clear Creek Amana, and Liberty high schools. Now in its eleventh year, the Crosstown Classic has two main goals: bringing communities together and supporting families battling cancer.
“One of the things that we do as a foundation is we talk to families. We talk to families during their cancer diagnosis, and help them through their journey,” says Craig Schroeder, whose son, Austin ‘Flash’ Schroeder, is the reason he and his wife, Stacy, began their foundation.
In 2014, Austin was diagnosed with a form of T-cell lymphoma at the age of fourteen and passed away only weeks later.
“It is the simplest concept. No matter how bad things go. No matter how tough your day is. Just find the one positive, and focus on that,” Schroeder said.
Austin’s memory and love of baseball lives on in the foundation, which through the help of the community and some of the Schroeders’ close friends, has continued to allow the Crosstown Classic to grow.
“I don’t know that you expect that or plan for it, but it just kind of automatically happens,” said Anne Johnson, one the Schroeders’ best friends, and the event organizer for this year’s Crosstown Classic. The Classic has seen some new additions that Johnson says have helped the foundation since their first event in 2014.
“They can buy t-shirts, the Kendra Scott group is donating proceeds, the Swizzle drinks group is donating proceeds. Everybody just comes here ready to give back,” said Johnson, who also adds that attendees can participate in a silent, online auction to win tickets to Major League Baseball games.
All proceeds that the Fight With Flash Foundation receives are donated to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, in addition to going straight to University of Iowa Children’s Hospital families currently receiving treatment.
The first game in the Crosstown Classic, between Solon and Iowa City High, also honored a specific member of the community.
“We were so happy that they were willing to share their story here today,” said Stacy Schroeder about the Sutherland family who threw the honorary first pitch of the game to honor their son Parker Sutherland, a City High graduate who passed away this year.
The Crosstown Classic would also not be possible without the ongoing support from the Solon High School baseball team, who offered their facilities to Fight With Flash in 2021.
“This is a highlight of our year,” said baseball head coach Keith McSweeney, who was the one to offer the Solon baseball fields for the Crosstown Classic after the foundation was looking to switch from hosting the event at the University of Iowa’s Duane Banks field.
“It helps us let our kids know that they’re fortunate, and that they should take nothing for granted, including their health,” said McSweeney.
In addition to the three high school games, a youth baseball camp was held Friday at Diamond Dreams Sports Academy in North Liberty.
According to the Schroeders, the Fight With Flash Foundation has raised a total of $1,122,000 in their eleven years of running the nonprofit.
“The community has helped us get to where we are today,” said Craig Schroeder, with Stacy adding, “we never even imagined this is where things would go.” For more information: https://fightwithflash.org.
Solon 6 City High 3
The Spartans topped the Little Hawks 6-3 on seven hits including doubles by senior Carson Kidwell and sophomore Michael Bigelow, and a homerun by sophomore Luke Merrick. Merrick and Kidwell led Solon at the plate with two hits apiece.
Six Spartans spent time on the mound with senior Dylan Gorham taking the win after 1-1/3 innings of work with no hits, no runs, two walks, and one strikeout. Merrick had three innings on the bump giving up three hits, three runs (earned), walking three, and striking out four.
Stats
Hits – Luke Merrick 2, Carson Kidwell 2, Dylan Gorham 1, Luke Deike 1, Michael Bigelow 1
HR – Merrick
2B – Kidwell 1, Bigelow 1
RBI – Deike 2, Merrick 1, Kidwell 1, Bigelow 1
Pitching – Merrick, 3 innings, 61 pitches, 3 hits, 3 earned runs, 3 walks, 4 strikeouts. Gorham (W) 1-1/3 innings 26 pitches, 0 hits, 0 runs, 2 walks, 1 strikeout. Thomas Lepic, 1 inning, 21 pitches, 0 hits, 0 runs, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts. Deike, 2/3 inning, 17 pitches, 0 hits, 0 runs, 2 walks, 1 strikeout. Tyler Greazel, 2/3 inning, 11 pitches, 0 hits, 0 runs, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts. Brady Wick, 1/3 inning, 5 pitches, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 1 strikeout.
Spartans sweep Independence 2-1, 8-4
The week opened with a home doubleheader against the Independence Mustangs and netted a pair of wins for Solon.
Hayden Detra and Brady Wick scored in game one in the sixth as Solon scattered eight hits led by Carson Kidwell with two. Maddox Kelley and Kidwell had a double each with an RBI for Sawyer Hansel. Luke Deike went the distance giving up five hits and one earned run, walking four, and striking out seven.
Stats
Hits –Carson Kidwell 2, Dylan Gorham 1, Maddox Kelley 1, Luke Merrick 1, Hayden Detra 1, Kinnick Sokol 1, Sawyer Hansel 1
2B – Kelley 1, Kidwell 1 RBI – Hansel 1
Pitching – Deike (W), 7 innings, 101 pitches, 5 hits, 1 earned run, 4 walks, 7 strikeouts.
The Mustangs opened the nightcap with one run in the first. Solon answered with one run in the first, added one in the second, three in the third, one in the fourth, and two in the sixth.
Dylan Gorham, Luke Deike, Michael Bigelow, and Sawyer Hansel produced two hits each with a triple for Gorham and two RBIs for Deike. Tate Miller took the win with six innings on the mound giving up nine hits and four runs (one earned), walking one, and striking out six.
Stats
Hits –Dylan Gorham 2, Luke Deike 2, Michael Bigelow 2, Sawyer Hansel 2, Maddox Kelley 1, Hayden Detra 1, Brady Wick 1
3B – Gorham 1
RBI – Deike 2, Gorham 1, Carson Kidwell 1, Detra 1, Wick 1, Bigelow 1
Pitching – Tate Miller (W), 6 innings, 109 pitches, 9 hits, 1 earned run, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts. Wick, 1 inning, 15 pitches, 1 hit, 0 runs, 0 walks, 1 strikeout
