Locals get a chance to play
Published 8:14 pm Thursday, June 28, 2018
WEST POINT — The West Point Parks and Recreation Adult Softball League is wrapping up its practice schedule this week.
The league has eight teams divided into two divisions. Each team will play two games against their division and three crossover games for a total of nine regular-season games. The league then goes into a single-elimination tournament to determine the league champion.
Some games in the league can get intense, according to program coordinator George Greene.
“It just depends on the teams that are playing,” Greene said. “Some are much more competitive than others.”
There’s an equalizer rule enforced in the league to keep the games competitive. No team will be able to take a lead larger than one run. If a team hits a home run after going up one run, then the home run counts as an out.
“It help makes it equal because we don’t have enough teams to split it into [more] divisions,” Greene said.
The age of the participants in the league span from 18 all the way to athletes in their 50s but athletes of any age above 18 is welcomed to join the league.
The adult recreational softball league has been going on for years, coming in all forms. West Point used to host a women’s softball league over a decade ago, Greene said, and this year’s league features a co-ed team.
All of the general rules of softball apply in the league, all pitches must be underhand using a core .44 ball.
To join the league, interested players would have to approach a team in the league and ask to join the roster. The rosters will freeze around the third game of the season in July, Greene said.
“You can’t call up here and get on a team,” Greene said. “If there’s a team that you know of and you want to see if they have a spot then that’s fine but we don’t place people on teams.”
A difference between the youth and adult leagues at the West Point Rec is that the adult leagues can put together any group of athletes that they please while youth leagues spread out the talent to keep the league fair.
“Adult softball you go out and get your team and you may have 12 great athletes on that team and the other may just be a pickup team that just wants to play,” Greene said. “The competition level varies a great deal.”
As an organizer, Greene said there’s less concern managing an adult league and making sure all of the competition is level.
The first day of the league’s regular season is on July 11 when four games will be played beginning at 6 p.m. The single-elimination tournament begins on Aug. 6 and the championship game is scheduled for Aug. 9.