Inspiration.
During my weekly walk on the beach with a group of friends, I missed the last game of the series with the Marlins. Then, I noticed the start of season two of professional women’s softball. Last season, this AZ Snake Pit article talked about the arrival of professional women’s softball. As a follow-up, I was inspired to watch a game.
On the subject of inspiration, Jenny Finch’s book, Throw Like a Girl, is an inspirational book with practical tips about the mental side of competing.
How can I watch a professional women’s softball game?
This season’s schedule
is here. The schedule includes links to see each game. Every game will be televised or streamed. The regular season will continue through 20 July. Postseason games will be played from 23-27 July.
On 11 June, I watched the Texas Volts vs the Oklahoma Sparks. I picked the Sparks because I looked at the official AUProShop and liked their T-shirt best. I will buy their white T-shirt (intending to have a friend tie-dye it) when my size becomes available. This game was streamed live on the MLB Film Room. There was no requirement to log in and there was no charge.
A Few Observations.
The softball was a strikingly bright yellow. That made it easy to follow.
While most players wore baseball caps, Grein (the Sparks starting pitcher) had a glittery headband, which was delightful. Also, some pitchers wore minimalist wire face masks for protection from come-back hits.
The pitcher was surrounded by “the circle” which was flat and level instead of being a mound.
The backs of their uniforms had huge player numbers which were easy to see.
They had a pitch clock, just like MLB! The game pace was speedy.
They have broadcast announcers, just like MLB. And they interviewed players and non-players during the innings (often it was called a “chair chat” with the interviewee sitting on a relatively high chair dedicated to that purpose).
I loved the joy that the players expressed when they executed excellent plays. They had bright smiles. And I caught a glimpse of what I assume was a mascot wearing a bright yellow helmet.
Instead of advertisements, between half innings I heard a few seconds of music and then saw an AUSL screen. The absence of advertisements felt good.
A Couple of the Star Players.
It’s early days, but the Sparks have some star players. Kirk Walker, the GM for the Sparks, talked about the league expanding, about the high level of play, and about his players, especially Maya Brady. She has an unbelievable skill set and a lot of upside we haven’t seen yet. Before today’s game, she led the league in RBIs (8), and was tied for first in hits (4) and homers (2). I noticed she got a single and a double in her first two PAs. As long we are talking league leaders, the Sparks’ Sydney Sherrill led the league in walks (4), and added a walk in this game.
The first half inning was lively.
The first half inning included a single, a swinging strikeout, a fielder’s choice out, a stolen base, and finally a ground out to the pitcher.
Then a nearby lightning strike caused a weather delay. I saw them covering one of the cameras with plastic before the return of the AUSL screen.
The game continued after a weather delay.
After about half an hour, the game continued. By the top of the fifth inning, the Volts had a 4-1 lead.
In the bottom of the fifth innings, the Sparks loaded the bases with one out. Three runs scored, and the game was tied.
The score remained tied until an exciting bottom of the seventh (and final) inning. After the Sparks loaded the bases, a pinch hitter struck out for the second out of the inning. The next batter was hit on the arm by a pitch, and gleefully ran to first base. The Volts asked for a review of the play and the call was confirmed. The hit-by-pitch was a walk-off win, which was the league’s first this season.
The Final Score.
The final score was Sparks 5 (with 8 hits and 1 error), Volts 4 (with 7 hits and 2 errors). I enjoyed watching the game. The game was very similar to MLB games. It was entertaining with plenty of action. I very much enjoyed watching women athletes compete.
