Church Softball League to crown champion on Saturday
Morgan Maloy makes a play at third base for Trinity United Methodist during Church Softball League action on Tuesday.
By John Burbridge sports@charlescitypress.com
CHARLES CITY — If the Chicago Cubs played in the Charles City Church Softball League, they might let Anthony Rizzo pitch again.
In this coed league that plays Tuesday nights at Westwood Park, pitchers pitch to their own teammates. And sometimes they strike them out.
Usually hitters get themselves out or have fielders thwart them with web gems. But any league with pitchers grooving their offerings — “Where do you want it?” … “Right down the middle” — will tend to be offense friendly.
Jennie Emery of Prairie Lakes-New Hampton takes the ball to right field like she did in a previous at-bat which resulted in an inside-the-park home run.
That was the case this past Tuesday when Prairie Lakes-New Hampton outbattled Trinity United Methodist in a … um … “slow-pitch” softball score of 17-14.
It was a back-and-forth game that finally turned in Prairie Lakes’ favor when Jennie Emery hit a 3-run inside-the-park homer. Even when considering some of the tape-measure out-of-the-park shots hit during the game, Emery’s round-tripper was perhaps the most impressive as she drove a pitch down the right-field line — not an easy task for a right-handed hitter in slow-pitch softball, teammate pitching to you or not— while taking advantage of the room Trinity United Methodist was giving her.
“My first home run of the season!” Emery announced after crossing the plate and giving her team the lead for good.
This week is the final week ofthe 11-week regular season for the 10-team league. For Prairie Lakes-NH, the win capped its regular-season record at 8-2 as they were in third place going into Tuesday.
Prairie Lakes-Osage is in first place.
On Saturday, a one-day seeded playoffs will determine the league’s champion. Last year, Gospel Lighthouse won after defeating Prairie Lakes-Osage in the championship game.
Aside from pitching to your teammates, other league rules include no plays at the plate — if the ball can be returned to one of the fielding team’s players within the pitching circle before a runner crossed the plate, the runner has to return to third base.
Also, you can have a courtesy runner run for you right after the ball is put in play — they start at the backstop behind the plate and run on contact.
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