Middletown North softball pitcher Riley Kernan hosted a fundraiser on Friday for 7-year old Evan Moore as he battles leukemia. Watch a story that inspires and shows how the athletes we cover are destined for great things well beyond sports
Riley Kernan has provided a lot of highlights on Shore Sports Zone. The Lions starting pitcher has won 44 games over the last two years and has struck out 280 batters. Kernan had the game winning hit in the 2015 Shore Conference championship game to give the Lions its first SCT title in 41 years in a 1-0 victory in 8 innings over rival Middletown South. She was the winning pitcher in that game as well as the 2016 Shore Conference finals, a 5-2 win over Middletown South. Already committed to play Division I softball the University of Rhode Island, there’s no need for Riley to do anything to boost her college resume. A student of her mother’s with downs syndrome was diagnosed with leukemia in March. 7-year old Evan Moore and Riley have developed a special bond and when the news of cancer came, Kernan wanted to do something to help the Moore family. With her junior season complete on the softball diamond, Riley organized a carnival fundraiser at Middletown North using the theme of Evan’s favorite movie, Toy Story. When we first interviewed Riley at the fundraiser, she told us that Evan was not going to attend as he was still in the hospital, but the Moore family was able to get a weekend pass from the children’s hospital and attend the event. Watch the video below to see the special bond between Evan and Riley:
Evan Moore is set to return to the hospital and continue his fight against leukemia. Riley Kernan has one more year of softball at Middletown North before beginning her college softball career at the University of Rhode Island. Shore Sports Zone spends a lot of time during the school year getting to as many games as possible and capturing great moments from teams and athletes. This story proves that the athletes we cover who are dedicated to their sport are also learning the skills and leadership to be great pillars of our community.