Ladies Take the Diamond

For 11 teams spread across the West Coast, the most exciting part of summer started on July 18 when the Little League Western Region Softball Tournament held its opening ceremony at the Little League Headquarters in San Bernardino. The opening ceremony started with each team introduced on the field. While the athletes recited the Little League Pledge, parents looked on, smiling and taking photos of their daughters. “I feel so overly emotional; when you carry the burden and responsibility it can be hard at times,” Melody Comb, mother of an Oregon player, said. “But it is so worth it.” Little League Western Region Director Jim Gerstenslager congratulated all the girls for making it to the ceremony and reminded them to have fun and enjoy the week. “It’s not all competition,” Gerstenslager said. “The girls will get to know one another and by the end of the week will forge friendships with girls from other teams.” He told the athletes that women are making history—softball is the fastest growing portion of the Little League program. Over 300,000 young women around the country participate in softball. “We are really excited to be here. This is our first time playing the tournament,” Savannah Branson, a player who hails from Nevada, said. The ceremony ended with the first pitch, which was thrown by San Bernardino Mayor Patrick Morris, who threw it underhand to a player from Hawaii. “This is the third year San Bernardino has hosted the tournament and it’s great fun,” Morris said. For the week, girls in the 11–12 age range will compete to represent the Western Region in the national Little League finals.