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DUBAI: Baseball in Dubai started with a bang on Friday night as Karachi Monarchs third baseman, Pavin Parks, hammered the first pitch in the league’s history deep out of the ballpark with a 350ft shot that sailed over the right field “Crawford Boxes.”

Facing the Mumbai Cobra’s starting pitcher, Karan Patel – who was the first player of Indian descent drafted by an MLB club, and then the first draft pick in Baseball United history (2023) – Parks’ shot became the first hit, first home run, first run scored, and first RBI in Baseball United history.

The Monarchs bats were kept silent by Cobras pitchers until a wild ninth inning, that included another Parks blast – this time the first official Money Ball in league history – that cut a 4-1 deficit to 4-3 since the solo home run counted for double the runs as per Baseball United’s Money Ball rules. Karachi ended up scoring five runs in the inning, pulling out a surprising 6-4 come from behind victory on Opening Night.

Other highlights from opening night:

• Mark Simon struck out former big leaguer (TB Rays, St Louis Cardinals) Justin Williams in the bottom of 1st inning. This was the first strikeout in Baseball United’s history.

• Lou Helmig's home run in the bottom of the second inning against starter Mark Simon, became the first two-run home run in Baseball United’s history.

• In the fifth inning, Caleb McNeely hit an RBI double, facing relief pitcher Isaac Milburn. This was the first RBI and first run scored with no home run involved.

• Shortstop Lord de Vera hit an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth, bringing Caleb McNeely to the plate. This was the first RBI single in BU history.

• Mumbai relief pitcher Chandler Woolridge executed the first successful Fireball, after striking out Henderson Pérez with no outs on the scoreboard (Top 7th), and later, in the eighth inning, he had the second successful Fireball, after striking out José Acosta. These were the first two well executed Fireballs in Baseball United’s history.

• Despite Mumbai executing two consecutive successful Fireballs to end 7th and 8th innings after the first batter, Karachi Monarchs manufactured a 5-run rally. Pavin Parks hit his second home run of the night against Jacob Hasty.

• Max Jung-Goldberg received the first hit-by-pitch of the season. Because it occurred during Money Ball (9th inning), it resulted in an RBI, as the batter was hit by the ball and the runner on second base advanced two bases.

• Isaac Milburn executed the first Fireball in Mumbai Cobras history, after striking out Lou Helmig in the bottom of the seventh inning.

• First Winning pitcher in BU history: Alex Dubord; first losing pitcher in BU history, Jacob Hasty; first SV in BU history: Enrique Burgos.