SHERRILL, N.Y. — Fitchburg State University sophomore Brad Keefe was having a typical batting practice just a few hours before his summer collegiate baseball team, the Sherrill Silversmiths, was set to take the field in Sherrill, New York’s Noyes Park. People threw the ball. Others used tees. He worked on his stance.

But then the unexpected happened.

“We looked up and realized that there was a house right by the batting cage where the shed and the car were on fire,” said Keefe, who plays as a catcher.

The fire engulfed a single-car detached garage, and it was spreading to the vehicle parked next to it. As bystanders used garden hoses to help extinguish the flames, Keefe jumped to action, grabbing the baseball field’s hoses and joining the fray to cover more space. His teammates, Whitman College’s Simeon Downing and Swarthmore College’s Josh Bein, ran to inform the homeowner of what was happening.

“Twenty minutes before, the grounds crew was showing us how to use the hoses on the field,” Keefe said. “We were just trying to maintain it. Since the car was on fire, we didn’t want it to get to the gas tank.”

Firefighters were able to respond to the scene, but the quick action of the young baseball players made an early impact.

“The selfless efforts of these individuals to actively take action and attempt to assist the residents of Sherrill in a time of crisis is greatly appreciated,” said Sherrill Fire Chief Andrew Bennett. “The fire was brought under control quickly after the arrival of the Sherrill-Kenwood Volunteer Fire Department.”

Sherrill City Manager Brandon Lovett called the act “a true sign of leadership and selflessness.”

“We always expect our players to be great community citizens when they head off to various collegiate summer baseball leagues, but it sounds like Brad and his teammates took that to another level,” said Fitchburg Falcons Head Coach Shawn Manfredo. “We’re very proud of how [Keefe] represented Fitchburg State University and our baseball program.”

Keefe, though, is a bit more modest about his heroic act.

“I feel like anybody else in the situation would have done the same thing,” Keefe said. “I think we had a good game plan. We were just seeing what needed to be done and just trying to do it the best that we could.”