Damascus softball squad heads for Florida

By Caitlin Sullivan
Washington County News
“You have to go to Florida; you’re good luck.”
Taylor Doss kneeled beside Dale Orfield on the grass.
“If I was ever to go (to Florida ) this would be it, but I can’t go,” Orfield said. “I’m too old. I’m 78.”
Orfield is part of what he calls the “old geezer club,” a group of three that goes to every Damascus Little League softball practice and game. They bring a cooler of Gatorade for the team, to boot.
They were there, of course, in Pound, Va. , when the Damascus Junior League Softball team won the state championship in a 4-1 decision over Elkton.
But Orfield, it seems, won’t be there on Thursday when the team and 43 family members pile onto a bus and drive the 16 hours to Fort Myers , Fla. , for the Aug. 1 Southern Regionals. It’s the second state title in four years for the Damascus Little League and the first time they’re going on to Regionals.
“We’ve had several years to get to this point,” team manager David Morrison said. “The kids worked hard and the parents did too. It takes both to be successful.”
It’ll cost $12,000 for the team to take the trip. In just two days, the team and its supporters have found $3,000. He hopes the other $9,000 will come.
The girls circle the field in a jog, stretching afterward and throw the ball without the coach saying a word.
“They’ve practiced every day except Sundays since the first of March,” said Morrison. “Most of the time they’re here when I get here and most of the time they’re still here when I leave.”
“They’ve got a lot of hours invested in this, giving up summer vacation and weekends,” said Coach Joe Richardson.
The 11 girls on the team have mostly played together for years. Most play together off the diamond, too, in other team sports, like volleyball and basketball.
Take centerfielder Faith Ritchie. She’s been playing since she was 4 and played with most of her teammates since tee-ball days.
“We all know each other so well and now we’re bigger and better,” Ritchie said.
Up in the stands, Dale and Paul Orfield watched the girls scatter across the field.
“Next year I’m going to have one of them (coolers) with wheels on it so we don’t have to carry it,” Dale said to Paul.
“There she goes,” Paul said, turning to watch pitcher Morgan Lowe windmilling her arm around and releasing the ball. “Morgan’s warmed up now. It takes her a while but once she is, boy is she good.”
“They’re better than they were last year, they’ve got great coaching,” Dale said.
“Maybe they have a few more state champs in them,” Paul said.
Out on the field Mary Hand scuff dirt away from the plate and then stands, with her bat at attention. Mariah Morrison is still, her teammates fanned out behind her. She steps forward and hurls the ball toward Makenzie Richardson’s mitt.
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