IT WAS A HAPPENING! THE GAME BETWEEN USA SOFTBALL WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM AND THE USA SOFTBALL JUNIOR NATIONAL TEAM

by Mike Slenski

 So just what is a happening?  My friend, Jim Carroll, the Hall of Fame Broadcaster, often used the phrase when he was describing an event that was bigger and more pervasive than it was intended to be. It was an event that folks needed to be part of, to be seen at, or somehow just had to be around. The double-header softball event held at Lewis- Gale Field at the Salem Red Sox ballpark was not just a simple night of softball. It was the location of a lot of personal agendas. Yes, we would see Keilani Rickets/Baylor, Michele Moultrie and BrittanySchutte from Florida and Whitney Canion of Baylor. These were players that all self-respecting softball fans recently saw on ESPN during the NCAA regional/super-regional and championship series. My wife and two softball playing and coaching daughters always look forward to our ritual of watching the NCAA Softball Tournament on television eachspring. This year, we carried the championship series on the radio on our ESPN in Virginia network of stations. Salem was one of only three locations in the country where this array of stars would play. Three-thousand fans turned out to enjoy a night of softball, family, friends and ball park food. There were coaches and the youthful members of their softball teams decked out in their jerseys with names like Heat, Scrappers and Pride. There were the mother, father, and daughter softball family combinations looking for some insight, a tip on how to play or some inspiration for playing softball in the future. There were fathers and daughters, fathers and sons, grandfathers/sons and grandsons. There were seventy year old former female softball players who connected with old friends they played with in their youth. There were male sports fans of all ages who are faithful attendee’s at many area sporting events. My favorite was a fellow with a long white beard, and a curled mustache that made him look like Santa Claus. He had a Hawaiian Shirt and brown shorts on and he was there to watch the game with his wife and friends but he kept being interrupted by youngsters wanting a picture with him and the older youngsters in the beer garden who kept calling him Santa and asking for pictures with him as well. He was good natured and accommodated all who asked between his watching of the games. The weather was perfect with moderate temperatures, a nice breeze and low humidity and the view is always perfect at the Salem baseball stadium.

I was curious as to how they would adjust the baseball layout to accommodate the softball playing dimensions. As I walked into the ballpark and stared out toward home plate and beyond, I saw a series of geometric brown dirt shapes attached together, First came a square in front of the regular baseball pitchers mound that would accommodate the softball pitching rubber set at 43 feet and enough space in front and behind that to allow for the pitching circle for softball. Next came the regular circular baseball elevated pitching mound with the rubber in the middle at 60 feet. That was followed by a diamond shape of dirt with the softball second base bag in the center of it. The softball bases were set at 60 feet and the infield which isnormally dirt in softball was green grass. For the most part, it all worked out with the exception of one play where the elevated mound behind the pitcher caused the shortstop to error on a throw after she fielded a ball hit behind the pitcher. It’s difficult footing when you are climbing a mountain in the infield that is normally flat. The only other problem that I saw with the mound was when the infielders came to the pitchers circle before each inning to encourage their teammates. I saw at least three different players stumble and numerous others almost experience a similar fate on their way to the ritual to start the inning. The four foot high white fence was set in the outfield at 220 feet in a ball park that is 325 feet down the lines and 401 feet in straight-away centerfield. The wide spaces outside the first and third base lines allowed foul balls to be caught that would have been in the stands at regular softball fields and the deep space behind the catcher allowed runs to score as the catcher gave chase to balls that got by her grasp.

The stage is now set. OK, let’s get to the playing of softball.The U.S Women’s National Team was victorious in the night’s first game, 6-1 over the USA Junior National Team. Chelsea Thomas/Missouri pitched five innings and gave up one run as her teammates pounded out nine hits. Lauren Gibson has an inside-the-park home run when the USA Juniors right fielder slipped while trying to make a play and saw the ball sail over her head to the fence. Outfielder, Kaitlin Cochran blasted a solo homer in the fourth inning over the centerfield fence. Gibson also had a single and a double in this first game. Arizona recruit, Shelby Pendley, had a double for the USA Juniors Team. Florida Bound, Lauren Haeger, pitched five strong innings for the Juniors, giving up three runs on seven hits. Catcher Amber Freeman came up three times with two runners in scoring position for the Junior USA Team but could only muster harmless pop ups or ground outs to the infield to end each threat.

The fans in attendance seemed to enjoy the game and were attentive to all that was going on and applauded when a nice defensive play was made or a nice hit was stroked by players from each squad. Both teams were representing the USA, just at different levels of competency. The Junior Team played well at times but seemed to have mental lapses at other times allowing the USA National Team to score some easy runs. All the fans were busy at the concession stands buying hot dogs, chili-cheese fries and snow cones. Mugsy, The Salem Red Sox, mascot was a hit keeping the crowd entertained with his antics throughout the evening.

Most of the fans stayed for game two until the third inning was completed. The US National Team plated two runs in the top of the second and then batted around in the third scoring nine runs to take an 11-0 lead. The highlight of the night for me was seeing Oklahoma Junior hurler, Keilani Rickets, pitch three scoreless and hitless innings for the National Team. Her motion was effortless and her off-speed pitches were devastating to theJunior’s hitters as she struck out four. She looked the same as she did on national TV and I was delighted to see her do it in person. Kaitlin Cochran was the nights hitting star as she smashed another solo homer in game two during the five inning contest. Taylor Hoagland and Valerie Arioto each had two RBI’s in the game as well. Whitney Canion, a junior mound ace, from Baylor closed out the game striking out four in two innings of work.

A fun evening for young and old softball fans who enjoyed watching some of the country’s best softball players take the Lewis-Gale field in the Salem Red Sox Baseball Stadium. It was great to see these outstanding players in person and not just on ESPN Television. I am sure that the softball fans in attendance went home with a good feeling and celebrated a great time with family and friends on a beautiful night in Salem, Virginia. The line to garner an autograph from one of these outstanding players outside the ball park was long after the second contest and the Salem Fair was set up to begin the next day. The lights and atmosphere just added to the feeling that I had just been part of a “happening “ in the Roanoke Valley. As I headed to my car, I was on the phone with my softball playing and coaching daughters sharing my experience with them and wishing they were here with me.