It was a home run for “Rounding Third” by Richard Dresser which opened Friday night at the Butler Little Theatre.

Jeff Carey and Aaron Paul Zimmerman were expertly cast as odd couple coaches yoked together with a clipboard and a whistle.

Carey capably portrayed the blue collar, high school jock still fanning the flames of his glory days. He nailed the exasperation and condescending attitude toward his new and much less experienced assistant coach.

Zimmerman seemed comfortable being uncomfortable in his role of wannabe cool yet geeky coach. His facial expressions and body language were quite believable and awkward.

The playwright is known for his television writing, and the play felt much like a sitcom.

While it was mostly humorous and much of the dialogue is hokey and contrived, the show did have its tension filled moments. Dresser had the uncanny ability to go from funny to serious and back again before you knew what had happened. No canned laughter was needed; the studio audience approval was genuine.

The show is a series of entertaining and brief vignettes at practices, games, a bar and a van which chronicle the relationship of the two mismatched coaches. The pair explored the game of baseball and at the same time the game of life as well.

Zimmerman and Carey skillfully delivered the jokes and gags. Their chemistry and energy sustained the two-man show with nary a lag.

Anyone who has been involved in children's sports would have dealt with real-life characters such as these. In fact, Dresser wrote the play based on his own experiences coaching his son.

Dresser enjoyed toying with his actors, but his goal for them was to get the audience to ponder how perhaps what we teach our children about sports might relate to the life lessons they are taking in as well.

“Rounding Third” is an enjoyable show. It was a fitting homecoming performance for Paul Haughey who proved he hasn't lost his director's touch.