Rolf Paoli, designated hitter for the Valdosta Vipers of the independent Peach Orchard League, hit a home run on Sunday that travelled an estimated 5000 feet.  Polly League officials confirmed the distance early this morning.

“It just kept going and going, ” said one spectator.  “Nobody said nothing for the longest time.  Then the crowd just exploded.”

The ball came to rest in the Winn Dixie parking lot on N. Ashley Street, nearly a mile from Pendleton Park.  Troy Pinier, an ombudsmen for the city, returned the ball to the Vipers front office after seeing the story on the local news.  “This baseball come rolling up under my buggy,” said Pinier.  “I thought some kids had lost it, but I didn’t see none around, so I just picked it up and took it home.”

Paoli led Valdosta and the Polly League in home runs, RBI, and total bases last year.  While he is known for his prodigious blasts, he claims he has never hit a ball quite so far.  “I don’t know what got into me,” said Paoli.  “Maybe there was something in that bar-b-q sauce I had last night.”