{"id":171536,"date":"2026-03-31T22:32:38","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T22:32:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=171536"},"modified":"2026-03-31T22:32:38","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T22:32:38","slug":"a-moment-of-pure-emotion-unfolds-at-wrigley-field-as-a-williamsburg-girl-steps-up-to-the-mound-to-throw-the-first-pitch-in-honor-of-her-hero-father-this-wasnt-just-a-ceremonial-toss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=171536","title":{"rendered":"A moment of pure emotion unfolds at Wrigley Field as a Williamsburg girl steps up to the mound to throw the first pitch in honor of her hero father. This wasn\u2019t just a ceremonial toss \u2014 it was a heartfelt tribute, and fans couldn\u2019t help but feel the powerful connection between family, legacy, and the love for the game."},"content":{"rendered":"
WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. (WKYT) – A Williamsburg girl got to honor her late father in a way he would have loved: throwing the first pitch at a Chicago Cubs game.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
On Monday night, Matthew Strickland and his daughter, Sadie, would likely have been at their home in Williamsburg, singing \u201cGo Cubs Go\u201d from their couch. Instead, 7-year-old Sadie cheered on the team at Wrigley Field, but her dad was missing.<\/p>\n
Matthew Strickland drowned on April 27, 2025, in the Cumberland River. He lost his life while saving two young girls from being taken by the current.<\/p>\n
Sadie threw the first pitch at the Cubs game on Monday in his memory.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf he could have seen her out there, that would have been a lifelong dream for him,\u201d said MacKenzie Lawson, Sadie\u2019s mother. \u201cShe made me proud. I know she made her daddy proud. It was all in his memory.\u201d<\/p>\n
How the opportunity came together<\/h2>\n <\/figure>\n
The opportunity to honor him this way came together almost by chance.<\/p>\n
Lawson, who is now remarried, said her husband surprised the family with Cubs tickets while traveling for work in Chicago. Lawson reached out to the team, sharing Matthew\u2019s story and hoping for maybe a small keepsake. Instead, the Cubs offered Sadie, a softball player herself, the first pitch.<\/p>\n
Sadie jumped at the opportunity to gain field access, meet the players, and kick off the game against the Los Angeles Angels.<\/p>\n
A full circle moment<\/h2>\n
As Sadie approached the mound, her mother said the only thing she could think about was her daughter\u2019s strength, even after losing her best friend.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe exemplifies the courage and the strength and all these things that he did too,\u201d Lawson said.<\/p>\n
Lawson said the whole night felt like a full-circle moment as her late husband\u2019s death anniversary approaches. Although Matthew was not there physically, she knew he was not far away.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis favorite number is number 9, and for the longest time, the score of the game was Cubs 7, Angels 2, and I just thought, you know, 7 plus 2 equals 9, like he\u2019s here, you know,\u201d Lawson said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
When asked what she would tell her dad about the game, Sadie said, \u201cIt was very fun.\u201d<\/p>\n
Copyright 2026 WKYT. All rights reserved.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
WILLIAMSBURG, Ky. (WKYT) – A Williamsburg girl got to honor her late father in a way he would have loved: throwing the first pitch at a Chicago… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":171537,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-171536","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\n
A moment of pure emotion unfolds at Wrigley Field as a Williamsburg girl steps up to the mound to throw the first pitch in honor of her hero father. This wasn\u2019t just a ceremonial toss \u2014 it was a heartfelt tribute, and fans couldn\u2019t help but feel the powerful connection between family, legacy, and the love for the game. - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=171536\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A moment of pure emotion unfolds at Wrigley Field as a Williamsburg girl steps up to the mound to throw the first pitch in honor of her hero father. 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