As Summer Ends, a New Softball Season Begins

The San Carlos Co-Ed Softball League opened its fall season at Burton Park Sunday with a triple header amid the sounds of clanking softball bats accentuated by the soft hum of distant lawnmowers and the familiar circus-themed music of an ice crea, truck just blocks away.

From the scorekeepers box, Lorraine Jenkins, 64, a representative from the Redwood City Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department, peered out over the sun-splashed field, just as she's done for the past 18 years.

"It's always a fun time," she said, as she scribbled down the results of the inning in-between bites of her chocolate ice cream popsicle. "This league is mostly San Carlos residents, but it's open to anyone and it's just a lot of fun."

The season openers saw the Dirt Devils trounce Trinity Presbyterian Church 17-3, while the San Carlos O's steamrolled Eat Dirt 23-3 and the Minions slid past The Good Times 16-8.

League rules stipulate seven-innings of play unless one team is ahead by 10 runs or more. At that point the game is limited to five innings.

The league – which hosts seven teams – plays their fall season until November, when a playoff determines the league championship. Three games are played each Sunday.

Every plays pays a fee to join the league, with the money used used to cover salaries of the umpire and scorekeeper and pay for equipment and lights.

Michael Nonaka, 33, an engineer from Saratoga, waits patiently in the dugout for his chance to bat. Nonaka is the teams center fielder.

"We started our team because most of us went to college together at Notre Dame. We all graduated in 2000 and it just seemed like a fun thing to do, said Michael Nonaka, a 33-year-old engineer from Saratoga, as he patiently waited in the digout for his chance at bat.

But Nonaka, the team's center fielder never made it to the plate. A teammate grounded out  to second base and the inning ended.

Nonaka was unphased. "We love it. It's a lot of fun," he said.

The league is open to anybody 18 or over. Patch will cover the games every Sunday.  

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