Ernst exits Congressional Baseball Game with one more GOP beatdown of Democrats

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Joni Ernst went out a winner in her final Congressional Baseball Game, helping Team GOP deliver another lopsided defeat to Democrats in Washington.

Republicans beat Democrats 11-2 at Nationals Park, marking the GOP’s sixth consecutive victory in the annual Congressional Baseball Game.

For Democrats, it was another long night under the lights. For Republicans, it was one more chance to celebrate a scoreboard that looked a lot like Iowa’s recent political map: very red.

Ernst, a Republican from Iowa, played as a pinch hitter and runner for Team GOP. She was one of only two senators on the Republican roster.

Iowa was also represented by U.S. Reps. Randy Feenstra and Mariannette Miller-Meeks, both Republicans, who joined Ernst on the field.

“Whether I’m on the Senate floor or the baseball field, I’m always fighting to bring home wins for Iowa,” Ernst said. “It was bittersweet playing in my final Congressional Baseball Game, but Randy, Mariannette, and I brought our A-game to help Team GOP defend its championship title and secure another victory.”

The game was another rout in what has become a Republican winning streak. Republicans not only won 11-2, but extended their streak to six straight wins in the charity game.

The annual Congressional Baseball Game dates back to 1909 and raises money for charities. Despite the partisan uniforms, trash talk and scoreboard bragging rights, the event is also one of Washington’s longest-running bipartisan traditions.

Still, this year’s result gave Republicans plenty to crow about.

For Ernst, the game was a farewell appearance. She has announced she is not seeking re-election this November, ending a Senate career that began after her 2014 victory made her the first woman from Iowa elected to the U.S. Senate.

Read NIT’s previous story on Ernst’s decision not to seek another term here.

Her exit opens a major U.S. Senate race in Iowa, where Democrats would love to claim the seat but face the same stubborn problem they faced on the baseball diamond: getting enough runs on the board.

The Republican victory also came with an Iowa-heavy lineup, giving Ernst, Feenstra and Miller-Meeks a chance to help put another tally in the GOP win column.

The GOP currently controls the White House, the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate, giving Republicans unified control of the elected branches in Washington. Republicans also continue to benefit from a 6-3 conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court.

For Democrats, the 11-2 loss was a fitting bit of political theater: outpitched, outhit and out of power, while still trying to convince voters they are on the comeback trail.

By the time the final out was recorded, Democrats were left with two runs, another loss and one more reminder that even in a charity baseball game, mercy is not always bipartisan.