Surprise Upset in Evening Softball Championship

The Fac Bats, a team of faculty members, had demolished student teams all season long, but faltered in the championship, handing the trophy to a team known as the Sons of Pitches.

 

The “Sons” were down by four runs early in the game, but came back thanks to some sparkling defensive plays, most notably diving catches by Ward Betts ’16 and Pat Ryan ’19. Final score: 8–5.

The Groton Evening Softball League takes place throughout spring term each year, offering a purely fun and relaxing distraction during an otherwise work-filled period. This spring, teams of ten to fifteen players formed, created wacky team names, and took part in a season during which, truly, any team could have won.

Several key players on dynasties such as The Big Green Tractors and Scared Hitless, which had won numerous championships in previous years, had graduated, so everyone could sense that this year would be different.

Unfortunately, weather did play spoiler to many games. A cold April and rainy May meant that some teams competed in only a couple of match-ups before the end of the regular season.

Despite some teams’ frustration with their performance and the weather, the GESL season remained an enjoyable spring diversion. Zahin Das ‘16, the manager of the perennially hapless One Hit Wonders, says, “As an old veteran, I can say that the GESL created many of my favorite Groton memories.”—George Klein ’16