Murphy lone NC Rep in Congressional Baseball Game

Members of the Congressional Republican team celebrate after receiving a trophy for winning the Congressional baseball game, Thursday, July 28, 2022, in Washington. The Republicans won 10-0. The annual baseball game between Congressional Republicans and Democrats raises money for charity. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

RALEIGH — Republican U.S. Rep. Greg Murphy (NC-03) was the lone member of North Carolina’s congressional delegation to participate in the 2022 Congressional Baseball Game last Thursday – but he was on the winning side as the Republicans defeated the Democrats for the second year in a row. 

The Congressional Baseball Game first began in 1909, and the bipartisan event benefits charities in the Washington, D.C. area such as The Washington Literacy Center, The Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, and Washington Nationals Philanthropies. This year’s game raised more than $1.5 million with about 17,000 tickets sold, organizers told Roll Call. 

Republicans won last Thursday’s game by a score of 10-0, one year after a 13-12 win for their first victory in four years. 

The game Thursday comes a little more than five years after Republican Minority Whip Steve Scalise (LA-01) sustained near-fatal injuries,undergoing multiple lifesaving surgeries and blood transfusions following the attack, in which he, a member of his security detail, Crystal Griner, congressional aide Zack Barth, and lobbyist Matt Mika were shot at by a gunman, who fired nearly 70 rounds at GOP lawmakers during practice on a baseball field in Alexandria, Virginia, in 2017. 

Ahead of the game, Scalise told the Washington Examiner, “I’ve fully healed and am very lucky to be alive, so I don’t take anything for granted. I still love going out to practice, and I’ll be the lead-off batter tonight, so that’s going to be a lot of fun.” 

The last member of the state’s congressional delegation to participate in the event was former Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Walker.

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Matt Mercer is the editor in chief of North State Journal and can be reached at [email protected].