Coed Softball Kicks off

Malta Parks and Recreation kicked off it’s 2020 Co-Ed Softball season on Tuesday, June 23, at the Trafton Park Softball Fields.

Close to 100 players and fans watched from the stands as the fields saw eight teams square off for a total of six games.

The team names this season are Oh My Quad!, Blue Ridge Softballs, IB (Independence Bank), Ezzie’s, Sons of Pitches, Heavy Hitters, 99 Problems But a Pitch Ain’t One, and OG ‘Mericans.

Despite going up 6-0 in their 6-4 win over Sons of Pitches, Oh My Quad!, who won last year’s League Championship, failed to score runs in the final two innings of the game. While their momentum halted, Sons of Pitches were able to score four unanswered runs. Oh My Quad! was without their original third baseman Andrea Lien, who will not take the field until she is confident that her knee is ready to go. Lien managed the team in their opening night win.

“We had a good practice last night,” Lien said. “We hit a lot of balls last night, so we felt comfortable going into the first game.”

Being the defending champions, Oh My Quad! plays with a chip on their collective shoulders with many of the group being amongst the oldest in the league.

“We are all pretty competitive,” Lien said. “We usually start out like the Bad News Bears. We are usually also the oldest team, so we have that drive. We are not going to let the younger teams show us up.”

In Lien’s absence, the team welcomed Kait Indreland, a visitor from Missoula. Indreland was in town visiting her boyfriend Michael Ryan.

“This is awesome,” she said. “I love that we have this setup because we can see both of the fields going at the same time. I really like that the community comes out to support everybody on the teams.”

In the East Field, Heavy Hitters edges Blue Ridge Softballs 17-0. Chris Simanton was the team manager for the Heavy Hitters.

“A lot of good batting,” Simanton said. “Everyone did well batting tonight.”

Simanton attributes their offensive explosion to their team practice, which was held on Monday, June 22. Though he was reluctant at first, Simanton narrowed his player of the game to one male and one female nominee. The female player of the game was his his wife Stacy and Jeremy Brenden was selected as the male player of the game.

“Jeremy took a lot of walks this game,” Simanton said.

One person new to the league was Malta Public Schools teacher Mardee Scott, who had previously competed in softball leagues in Billings.

“It’s fun actually,” Scott said. “It is competitive but not too competitive.”

She declined to say how intense games had gotten in Billings, but she shared a few details about the league in Billings.

”They had 20 more teams and it was way more competitive with more drinking,” she said confirming that she enjoys Malta’s league more.

Scott helped add to Blue Ridge’s score, batting in three runners in the third inning.

In the second and third-round games, 99 Problems defeated IB 11-6. IB defeated Sons of Pitches 22-0. Ezzie’s defeated OG ‘Mericans 17-8, Blue Ridge Softballs defeated Oh My Quads 7-6.

In 99 Problems’ win over IB, Kevin Ebert, a former teacher at Malta High School hit an in-park home run in the first inning that garnered applause from the crowd. Ebert, who bats lefty, crushed a ball down the right-field line. Ebert talks about scoring the run on his former team.

“I just tried to hit level and have some nice contact,” Ebert said. “Tyson Carney, a Malta alum gave me crap, saying that I can’t hit to left field. And I didn’t hit to left which kind of upsets me a little bit but I did hit to right and crushed it.”

Ebert watched the ball for a while before team manager Dean Yeadon told him to get going. Running the bases, Ebert went wide around first to second base. It was at third base that Ebert received a comment from the opposing team.

“I kind of felt like I needed to make it home based on that small comment,” Ebert said.

Cornhole Update:

In Malta’s Park and Rec Cornhole League Colossal Cob took control of first place, defeating MSYH. Cob has a season total of 6 wins, MSYH has five wins. KMMR, Lug Nut BBQ, and Great CS each are tied for third with three wins. WH was two wins and M. Shuckers has one win. Shut Your Cornhole and CH Chowder have no wins.