If the team names look a little different today, there’s a good reason. We’re recognizing the sponsors who support Winter Haven Senior Softball by using their names in our recaps.
Trucke Carpet — coached by Hill (Visitors/Hitting): 9
Richard’s Coffee — coached by Davis (Middle/Sitting): 13
The Tax Lady — coached by Wally (Home/Fielding): 13???
Richard’s Coffee — coached by Davis (Middle/Sitting): 13
The Tax Lady — coached by Wally (Home/Fielding): 13???
Yes, those question marks are intentional.
This game ended with one of those wonderfully confusing only-in-senior-softball finishes where everyone left the field and we’re still not entirely sure what the final score was.
Richard’s Coffee came into their final at-bat trailing and battled back to tie the game—or did they?
On the final play, the runner headed for second. Did he touch the base?
Ask the runner: Absolutely.
Ask the umpire: Absolutely not.
And since the umpire’s call is the one that counts, the third out was recorded at second.
But did the run score?
Yes. No. Maybe. Depends who you ask.
And then… that was it. The Tax Lady never got its final at-bat. Maybe the time limit had expired. Maybe everyone was still discussing second base. Maybe senior softball had simply provided enough entertainment for one morning.
Whatever the official explanation, it really doesn’t matter. We’re out there to have fun, and the umpire is always right. Even when half the field is convinced otherwise.
And speaking of our umpires, Laren and Don deserve some recognition. These two guys come out game after game, stand out there in the heat, and do their very best to keep all of us under control—which, as most of you know, is not always an easy assignment. A huge thank-you to both of them for everything they do for Winter Haven Senior Softball.
Second base wasn't the only place providing a little controversy. We also had two runners called out at third for failing to veer off.
So here's today's friendly rules reminder: Third base is treated just like second base. If there's a play coming to the base, the runner must veer off. Running straight through the base can turn what looked like a perfectly good trip to third into a very quick trip back to the dugout.
Somewhere between all the debates, we actually played some pretty good softball, too.
Richard’s Coffee and The Tax Lady came out swinging, each putting five runs on the board in the first inning. The Tax Lady kept the bats going with another five in the second, then added one in the third, one in the fourth and two in the fifth before being shut down in the sixth.
Trucke Carpet got on the board with three runs in the second, then went cold for the next three innings. Their bats came back to life with five runs in the sixth and one more in the seventh, but the late rally left them just short with nine.
Richard’s Coffee followed its five-run first inning with another run in the third, three in the fourth and two in the sixth. That brought them into their final at-bat trailing The Tax Lady 13–11.
And that’s when things got interesting.
Richard’s Coffee pushed across two runs to apparently tie the game at 13—but that second run came on the play at second base that started our whole “Did he touch it or didn’t he?” debate. The runner says he did. The umpire says he didn’t. The third out was called, the inning was over, and depending on who you ask, we either had a 13–13 tie… or we didn’t.
Meanwhile, The Tax Lady was waiting with the top of its order due up for what should have been the final at-bat—an at-bat that never came.
Could they have broken the tie? Maybe. Could Richard’s Coffee have held them? Maybe. Will we ever know? Nope.
So we'll put this one in the books as Richard’s Coffee 13, The Tax Lady 13-ish, and Trucke Carpet 9.
Another perfectly normal morning of Winter Haven Senior Softball.
Oh, and Bob Vandenberg, bring that daughter, Liz, of yours out any time. The guys will be fighting to have her on their team. What did she catch, like 5 or 6 balls out there in left center AND a double!!! She definitely gets it honest!