Going in, they knew they’d face some hurdles, but they wanted to play the game.
As the Lovelock Softball Association approaches the end of its third season, Jared Jensen reflects on his second year as president of the coed league.
“I’m proud of our community for being able to do this sport despite the pandemic,” he says.
Pitcher and outfielder Jesse Canchola mused about one secret of the league’s success.
“Everyone respects each other’s beliefs out here,” he says. “We all understand if you’re under the weather, you should stay home.” They applied the same logic to possible exposures.
Earlier in the season, several players may have been exposed to COVID-19.
Until they got the green light to return to McDougal Field, they stayed away. Next week, they’ll make up the games they missed.
“We as a board appreciate that,” said Jensen. “Keeping a safe environment is why we can still play ball and don’t have to cancel anything.”
Throughout the summer, eight coed teams play every Monday and Thursday evening starting at dusk. For many, it’s the end of a long workday.
Several keep an eye on their children, climbing on the nearby playground equipment.
There are also a fair number of PCHS students and recent alum. So far, each team has played nearly a dozen games.
“This league gets more competitive every season,” said Jensen. “We’ve had teams start out hot and then slow down a bit. Others started out slow but won four or five games in a row.”
As the regular season winds down, the Swingers (7-2) top the league. They’re headed to the Winnemucca Sports Complex for the 44-Hour Softball Tournament. It starts at midnight on Friday, July 24.
The Swingers hold an eight-run advantage over the league runner up, Thick N Wild (8-2).
The other teams include the Sandlot Junkies (7-3), Thunder Ducks (6-4), Brew Crew (4-4), Swamp Donkeys (4-5), Outkast (1-9) and Weekend Warriors (0-10).
The LSA end-of-the-year championship tournament starts Friday,
