
They sailed into the final game but hit a temporary snag. “They [Skyview] were winning 6-1 in the third inning,” Coach Dale Lunde said, “they weren’t used to being beaten, but we came back with 11 runs in the fourth inning. By the end of the game, we’d won 16-6. They perform
more terrifically with their backs against the wall after having never been there before.”
The girls impressed Coach Lunde. “It was a strong team,” he said, “a lot of the girls had previous knowledge of softball. They had to learn to wait for the slow pitch, but the main thing they needed to do was go out and perform.”
Slow-pitch softball is very similar to its well-known alter ego, fast-pitch softball. As the name suggests, the pitching is slower than usual. The ball must be thrown in an arc between six and twelve feet, with no “rainbow” throw above the set limit. There is also more flexibility. Instead of nine defensive players on the field at one time, slow-pitch softball is allowed to have ten. This tenth player, known as the rover, goes wherever the coach tells them they need to go.
After a terrific season, the girls are ready to hang up their bats, at least until fast-pitch season arrives.