By Rob Potter
MONGAUP VALLEY — September 21, 2001 – The Collins Park 18 and Under Girls’ Fastpitch Softball League held its second weekend of play this past Sunday, September 16.
The league was formed last year in an effort to make scholastic-level softball a year-round activity in Sullivan County.
Eight teams are competing in the league this fall. They include: AmVets (consisting of girls from the Roscoe-Livingston Manor area), E & T Landscaping (Liberty area), Fallsburg, Goshen, Pine Bush, Pro Prospects (Monticello area), Tri-Valley and Warwick.
In last Sunday’s games, Pine Bush beat Fallsburg 17-1, E & T downed Tri-Valley by a 13-1 margin and Warwick beat AmVets, 14-3. All of those games were ended after five innings due to the 10-run rule.
Standings through two weeks are as follows: E & T 2-0, Pine Bush 2-0, Pro Prospects 1-0, AmVets 1-1, Warwick 1-1, Goshen 0-1, Fallsburg 0-2, T-V 0-2. (The score of last Sunday’s game between Goshen and Pro Prospects was unknown at press time, which is why the standings show only one game played for each of those squads.)
In light of the September 11 terrorist attacks on America, each of Sunday’s games was proceded by a moment of silence. The teams lined up along the baselines to observe that moment and then recited the Pledge of Allegience.
Since the tragedy, a large American flag has been hanging near the center field scoreboard at Collins Park. That scoreboard has keen kept lit between games and at night. It shows the Inning as 1 and the score as Guest 1, Home 0 – with Home being the United States of America and Guest being those responsible for the horrific attacks.
The league will continue to hold games on Sundays through October. Each team is scheduled to play every other team once, which means every squad plays seven games.
A two-day championship tournament is scheduled to be held in late October. That tournament, which is weather permitting, would take place on Saturday, October 27 and Sunday, October 28.
Games for this Sunday (September 23) are as follows: Pro Prospects meets E & T at 10 a.m.; Goshen squares off against Tri-Valley at noon; Warwick faces Fallsburg at 2 p.m. and Pine Bush plays AmVets at 4 p.m.