Jun 19, 2015

No bunting. No sliding. No stealing. These are some of the rules for the senior softball double elimination tournament held on June 10 at the Charlestown retirement community in Catonsville. There are two first bases and two home plates, to avoid collisions. The only score that matters is having fun.

: The first of four games played in the senior softball tournament held at Charlestown in Catonsville, MD was between the Charlestown Sluggers and the Riderwood team from Silver Spring. Charlestown teammates sit on the bench while their team is up at bat. (Amy Davis/ Baltimore Sun)

: Charlestown teammate Glenn Young, left, holds onto batter John Kasuda’s belt during Kasuda’s turn at bat. Kasuda is a strong hitter, but because of balance issues that require him to use two canes, he needs support while batting. (Amy Davis/ Baltimore Sun)

: Charlestown coach Bert Clegern, right, delivers the ball to Charlestown’s third baseman, Carlton Butler, left, in front of Jiggs Kaliher (#15), of the Greenspring team from Springfield VA. (Amy Davis/ Baltimore Sun)

: Supporting the Oak Crest team in the senior softball tournament at Charlestown, from left, were Oak Crest residents Gen Metzger, Georgia Dorn, Ardith Luttrell, and Janet Plakatoris. Oak Crest won the tournament, but for all the teams, victory came with being able to play the game and have fun. (Amy Davis/ Baltimore Sun)

: Charlestown third baseman Carlton Butler smothers a single in the first game against Riderwood. (Amy Davis/ Baltimore Sun)

: Oak Crest pitcher Joe Adam hurls the ball in the second game of the senior softball tournament against Greenspring. (Amy Davis/ Baltimore Sun)

: Umpire Gene Huppmann, left, shares a laugh with courtesy runner Michelle Brolo, after he questioned whether she belonged on the Oak Crest team because she looked too young. Brolo, who is over 60, met the tournament requirement that all players be residents of Erickson Living communities. Brolo was by home plate, ready to run for the Oak Crest batter. (Amy Davis/ Baltimore Sun)

: Riderwood team member Marv Thompson rests in the shade after his team’s win in the first game against Charlestown. He was conserving his energy for the next game of the day, when his team was scheduled to play the winner of the second game. The Riderwood team is from Silver Spring. (Amy Davis/ Baltimore Sun)

: Charlestown’s coach, #16 Bert Clegern, at bat, hit a single in the first game against Riderwood, a senior community in Silver Spring. (Amy Davis/ Baltimore Sun)

: Residents from four Erickson retirement communities, Charlestown, Oak Crest, Riderwood and Greenspring, watch a senior softball tournament held at Charlestown’s softball field. (Amy Davis/ Baltimore Sun)

: The Oak Crest team joins hands for a brief prayer before their game against Greenspring, the second game in the senior softball tournament held at Charlestown. (Amy Davis/ Baltimore Sun)

: Oak Crest’s John Bennett lost his balance while running past third base, but came up smiling, no worse for his graceful rollover. (Amy Davis/ Baltimore Sun)

: Bill Metzger, second from left, congratulates pitcher Joe Adam, holding ball, as they walk off the field with Oak Crest teammates John Bennett, left, and Bob Thuman, right, after their team, the “Good Guys,” win the senior softball tournament at Charlestown. (Amy Davis/ Baltimore Sun)

: As the teams in the consolation game shake hands after Greenspring’s win over Charlestown, Charlestown’s John Kasuda, second from right, congratulates Greenspring’s Jim White, right. The Erickson Greenspring community is in Springfield, VA. (Amy Davis/ Baltimore Sun)

: Teresa Reyman, Charlestown Wellness Manager and announcer for the games, left, congratulates Charlestown player Naomi McAfee after the tournament. In recent years, more women have joined the teams. (Amy Davis/ Baltimore Sun)

The Erickson Living teams and their supporters arrive early from Oak Crest in Parkville, Riderwood in Silver Spring, and Greenspring in Springfield, Virginia, ready to play a quartet of five-inning games. Camaraderie wafts through the crowd, mingling with the aroma of hot dogs on a perfect summer day. For some players, this is a rare opportunity simply to run. Other players hit and field, but need others to run for them.

John Kasuda, 73, playing on the Charlestown Sluggers team, uses two canes to get around. At home plate, teammate Glen Young grabs his belt from the rear, enabling Kasuda to maintain his balance as he swings the bat. Many players came up to him, Kasuda reports, “to tell me what an inspiration I was to them. They thanked me for trying.” Kasuda, a retired schoolteacher, adds that next year, “I’m going to see if I can do it again without a person holding me up!”

Senior softball tournament: fun and camaraderie

Leave a Reply Cancel