McCallion
Quest

A slo-pitch ‘league of our own’

by Corina Kibsey

             It's 7:15 a.m. You are standing on the damp field half-asleep, your fingers frozen to the bone. Why are you doing this? It's Slo-Pitch season at Hazel McCallion. When the game gets started, you know it's all worth it. When you hear the crack of the bat and the thump of the ball in your glove, the excitement takes over and you get pumped to play. 

          The Slo-Pitch leagues here at Hazel McCallion are open to any grade 7 or 8 student who can commit themselves to the 7:15 morning games. The students, who wanted to join, also gave up one of their recesses to attend an information meeting and signed up in the Phys. Ed. Office. The boys played every Tuesday and Thursday and the girls played every Wednesday and Friday morning. 

          Slo-Pitch is very much like baseball or softball, but the ball is pitched in an arc, which must go higher than the batter's head, then come down and hit the mat in front of the batter. There is no stealing of the bases and if you leave your base before the batter makes contact with the ball, you are out. There is also a "commitment line" between third base and home plate. Once you cross the commitment line, it is too late to run back to third base. In baseball and softball, you score a run if you cross home plate. In Slo-Pitch, instead of crossing home plate, you cross a line behind it.  

          The girls' league was composed of four teams: The Royals, The Braves, the Expos, and the Red Sox. The Royals, the Braves, and the Red Sox were tied for second place with 2 wins and 1 loss each. The Expos had lost all 3 of their games and were in last place. Since the 1st place team plays the 3rd place team and the 2nd place team plays the 4th place team, the runs were counted and the playoffs started off with the Red Sox playing the Braves and the Royals versus the Expos. The Red Sox won their game and are going on to the finals versus, surprisingly, the Expos, who saved their best effort for the playoffs knocking off the Royals.  

The final game, which was played on the prestigious Rivergrove Diamond, took place during lunch and was an imitation of a World Series game, national anthems and all. 

          All students who participated in the Slo-Pitch games this year have had lots of fun and this was an excellent opportunity for them. Ms. Colman, Mme. Lemire, Miss Seguin, Mrs. Wolter, and everyone else who helped make this year's league enjoyable all deserve big thanks. The league was a huge success and was loved by many!