VIDALIA — After a rough game at the plate last week, eleven-year-old Landon Davis only wanted one person on the pitcher’s mound throwing pitches for batting practice.

When the Dart landed at the old ball fields in Vidalia Friday, Landon and his dad, Larry, were attempting to diagnose the reason Landon’s swing had been less than stellar at his Natchez Dixie Youth Baseball game Thursday.

Larry works in Tyler, Texas, and comes home every other weekend to see his family. Practicing his swing with his dad was a special occasion for Landon.

“I’d rather him help me than anyone else because I don’t get to see him during the week,” Landon said.

And Larry said there wasn’t anywhere else in the world he wanted to be Friday than on the field with his son.

“Just coming home, and while I’m here being out here with him, is the best part about today,” he said.

But Larry wasn’t the only one offering help to Landon, his grandmother Martha Goodman of Newellton tagged along to shag balls and cheer on Landon.

Goodman said spending Friday with her son and grandson was precious time because they are not all together very often.

“It’s about to make me cry,” she said watching Landon and Larry from the outfield. “They don’t get to see each other all the time.”

Larry even checked Landon out of school early at Adams County Christian School to take Landon to the field.

It was a family effort to help Landon hit, and dad and grandmother offered their advice.

“Did you back off the plate?” Larry asked Landon from the pitcher’s mound.

The general consensus among Landon, Larry and Goodman was that Landon had been hitting pitches off the handle of the bat because he was crowding the plate.

Landon took a half-step back from the plate and knocked a pop-up to left field, but Goodman caught it before it turned into a hit.

“I got robbed by own grandmother,” Landon shouted between laughs from the plate after the family celebrated the good catch.

Landon said he didn’t mind putting in the extra time on the field because being a good hitter is important to him.

“Baseball is my favorite sport; I’ve played it all my life,” he said.

Larry played two years of baseball at ACCS, and Landon said he was glad he got to share baseball with his dad.

“I like that we have that in common,” he said.