The St. Louis Cardinals, mired in a three-game losing streak, needed something special to create a winning spark Tuesday night. So, they called up local civic leader and lifetime educator Carolyn Losos to take the mound. The hope was Losos, who has been known to hit 96 mph on the radar gun, could get the team back on the right track.

The Cardinals wasted her valiant effort.

While Losos, a member of Congregation Temple Israel, did not bring the Cardinals a win (they lost 7-5), the co-founder of Parents as Teachers (PAT) did provide fans a reason to cheer as she threw out the ceremonial first pitch in celebration of PAT’s 40th anniversary.

Joined by friends and family at Busch Stadium, Losos, who did not want to become the next candidate for Tommy John surgery, made sure to warm up before the big moment.

When it was time to take the mound, Losos decided to pitch from the stretch and unloaded a perfect strike.

Congratulations to Carolyn Losos and Parents as Teachers on their tremendous milestone.