A 6-year-old Havre de Grace girl, who was attending her first Baltimore Orioles Opening Day game last Friday, served as the team's "10th man" representing the fans on the field during pre-game ceremonies.
Even though the Orioles went on to lose to the Toronto Blue Jays, 12-5, Ellie left Oriole Park at Camden Yards with plenty of great memories of running down the length of the field, hi-fiving the players and coaches and hugging the Oriole Bird mascot at home plate.
A team spokesperson explained the 10th man is a representative of all Orioles fans.
"She was excited to give all the players and all the coaches a high five," Ellie's mother, Jennifer Miller, said Wednesday. "She was thrilled."
Ellie also got a 10th man keepsake jersey.
"I told her I was going to frame the jersey, but she said she's going to wear it," Jennifer Miller said.
Miller said hugging the Oriole Bird was "very exciting" for Ellie.
"She just really loves that Oriole Bird," she said.
Kristen Schultz, director of community relations and promotions for the Orioles, said the selection of the 10th Man is "completely random."
She said team promotions staffers canvass the stands looking for energetic young fans before the Opening Day ceremonies.
"[They're] just looking for a cute, energetic Orioles fan that we think would be able to go down on the field on their own and represent Orioles fans throughout the season," Schultz said. "We say the representative is in honor of every fan that watches the games at Oriole Park or tunes in on the radio or TV."
Schultz said promotions staffers explain the concept to the child's parents and then bring the boy or girl to the field.
Schultz said the 10th man goes down to the field and runs from center field, down an orange carpet and slaps hands with the players after each member of 25-man roster is announced. The child then stays on the field as the National Anthem is sung.
She said the 10th man symbolizes the 10th starting player. The jersey is labeled with the year of the season, so Ellie's jersey has the number 15.
Ellie is the second consecutive child from Harford County to be the Orioles' 10th man on Opening Day. Brady Reise, of Bel Air, who was 8 years old at the time, was the 10th man in 2014.
Jennifer Miller said promotions staff approached her husband Brent when they asked if Ellie wanted to be the 10th man.
She said Ellie was unsure at first, but then decided to do it.
"She was pretty excited," Miller said.
She said her husband stayed in the stands, and she went down to the field with Ellie. Miller then ran around the field as Ellie ran from center field, crossed second base and stopped at home plate, where she met and hugged the Oriole Bird and caught up with her mother.
Miller said her daughter enjoys swimming, in addition to baseball, and she likes to watch Orioles games with her grandfather.