麻豆社区

Round-robin games to be played on dirt diamonds

The women鈥檚 side of the Canadian Slo-Pitch Championships kicked-off this morning, across the street from the Pepsi Softball Centre, where the men are playing.

While the 18 men鈥檚 teams 鈥� a full tournament 鈥� play on the grass diamonds at the Pepsi Softball Centre, the nine women鈥檚 teams are playing their round-robin games on two dirt diamonds across the street.

The women will play their playoff games on the grass diamonds starting Friday.

Yukon鈥檚 host team, the Yukon Titans, played their first game this morning, against the Manitoba Wild.

Roni-Sue Steinhagen said that while the team was full of jitters, they played well. The Titans fell 17-3 to the Wild.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 know if that鈥檚 (what) these butterflies in my tummy were, because our friends and family were going to be here,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 really great having everybody come out and cheer and stuff, even though they鈥檙e at these diamonds, they鈥檙e still coming out to support us, which is great.鈥�

Steinhagen said the Titans are used to playing on the dirt-only diamonds, while other teams might not be.

鈥淚t could be dangerous,鈥� she said, noting catcher鈥圴anessa Philpott slid hard into home to score a run. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to injure everybody, but we also still want to play hard. You want to dive for those balls in the field, but you can鈥檛.鈥�

Ashley Jackson of Alberta鈥檚 Sparqs, said she was really disappointed with the diamonds.

鈥淚t鈥檚 absolutely terrible,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e expected it to be pretty bad, but we had heard that it was going to be pretty bad and actually when I got here on Friday we took a drive out here and I was extremely disappointed with the diamonds.鈥�

When the ball hits the outfield, instead of slowing down, it picks up speed until a player catches it or it rolls into the chain-link fence surrounding the fields.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e never going to get a true hop. You鈥檙e playing on dirt; gravel basically, so it鈥檚 changed the game completely,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e wear cages in the infield, most of us and you almost want them (outfielders) to be wearing it, because the ball picks up speed as it rolls, it鈥檚 crazy.鈥�

Mike Branchaud, with Softball Canada said that the ladies aren鈥檛 playing on the grass diamonds because there is not enough time in the day.

鈥淭he diamonds across the street have been done the best they can to make them playable,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd honestly we鈥檝e had the coaches meeting last night, there wasn鈥檛 one question or concern brought up about it.鈥�

For the women鈥檚 players, it鈥檚 not just about the conditions of the diamond.

鈥淲e feel away from the tournament,鈥� said Smith.

Steinhagen is disappointed the fans that come out to cheer them on, won鈥檛 see them play their round-robin games at the Pepsi Softball鈥圕entre.

鈥淚鈥檓 sad that we aren鈥檛 playing so that people who do come out to support us can sit in the bleachers and cheer,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 help but feel, I don鈥檛 know, I don鈥檛 want to say second-rate citizen, but yeah. But what can you do, the men can鈥檛 play here.鈥�

Branchaud said the women鈥檚 round-robin diamonds are 鈥渙nly about a three-minute walk鈥� away.

鈥淪o they have all the concession here, the bathrooms and the running water here,鈥� he said. 鈥淥bviously the social part is over here as well. We see a lot of the women鈥檚 teams coming across already, so it鈥檚 all positive.鈥�

鈥淚f there was grass for the last 150 feet across the road, I don鈥檛 think we鈥檇 be hearing too much about it,鈥� said Branchaud. 鈥淏ut unfortunately, you know what, it is what it is.鈥圵e just hope that once they get over here, they鈥檙e going to be happy with the diamonds over here.鈥�

Softball Yukon president George Arcand was unavailable for comment.