The Blue Birds was a recreational fastpitch softball team for eleven and twelve-year-old girls that only played 10 games a summer. Yes! the team cheered as they raced for the dugout.Ĭoach Tim met them as they ran off the field, holding his hand out for high-fives. Strike three! Batter’s out! the ump called.

She smiled as the batter was caught off guard, swinging before the ball had even reached the plate. Trish knew the next pitch would be a change-up, high and inside. Ashley was a pretty good pitcher, and with Alisha catching for her, they were a great team. Yep, low and outside, she thought, grinning. Strike two! she heard across the plush grass that lay before her. She was betting it would be low and outside this time. Shifting her stance to the right slightly so she could look around the pitcher’s back, Trish waited to see where the next pitch would cross the plate. Nodding, Ashley positioned the ball inside her glove, stood tall on her wind up, and fired the ball to the exact low-inside location the catcher had indicated. Trish watched as, on the mound, Ashley took the signal from the catcher. Rolling her eyes in frustration, Trish hurried back to her spot in the outfield. It was a beautiful throw, yet it bounced out of the second baseman’s glove and rolled to the pitcher. She smiled and threw the ball to the infield. Nice catch, Trish! Coach Tim called from the dugout. It landed snugly in her glove for an easy out. Racing forward, Trish got under it, just like the coach had shown her.

In front of her, Ashley stepped onto the pitcher’s mound, hesitated only briefly, and then spun her right arm in a clockwise motion to deliver a good-looking pitch. Frowning in concentration, she waited for the next pitch. Trish Murphy stood in center field and brushed her brown bangs off her forehead with the back of her right hand.

Softball Scoresheet by Dawn Brotherton