Gil Pound: Pound for Pass the ice pack

Jul. 3—Scooters, pulled muscles, wagons, sprained ankles, lawn chairs, and a good time — these were all things one could find at the Georgia College & State University intramural fields over the last several weeks on Tuesday and Thursday nights.

The complex was packed with people coming out to enjoy the local eight-team church softball league holding its inaugural season.

My church, The Church at Milledgeville (TCA), fielded four teams. I signed up and was served a humbling reminder of why I have not stepped onto the diamond competitively in some 20 years. I stink, y'all.

I likely lost credibility with some readers, but that doesn't take away from the fact that I had a great time. Neither could a badly rolled ankle suffered at our first practice. My shoes fit a little snug for weeks while I waited for the swelling to go down. Never missed a game due to injury, though.

Here's the unofficial season write-up from my point of view.

The TCA Green Team, my team, started the season hot on a five-game winning streak. We don't need to speak about the results after that. Designated pitcher Brian Humphrey kept things light from the mound, and with only one good hamstring came oh so close to perfect three-pitch innings on more than one occasion.

Our team captain Nolan Baugh led the way and did his best Nolan Ryan impression on a few hot throws over to first from shortstop while also — unlike Nolan Ryan — contributing many, many home runs. A questionable managerial decision during our final game cost Nolan the coveted Green Team MVP honor.

Poor Tyler Cann's batting average took a dip when, on Nolan's advice, he struck out intentionally with time running out to try and give us another at-bat while we were trailing late. I think we'll be laughing about one out vs. two outs for years to come.

The Green MVP award instead goes to Baugh's wife Lauryn, our teammate and team mom who came through in the clutch with cold Gatorade after every game.

Northridge Christian Church always brought great crowds to support their two teams. Sometimes that support was shown by playing funny walk-up songs as their players came up to bat. Team wives also had hilarious shirts made with their husbands' faces on them. That's dedication.

Shoutout to the Northridge "B" Team for wearing the Kekambas jerseys from the 2001 Keanu Reeves movie "Hardball." I'd say it was a great way to honor G-Baby. If you don't get the reference, go watch the movie on a day you feel like getting wrecked emotionally.

Are softball swings genetic? It sure as heck looked like it watching TCA pastor Taylor Tom and two of his sons at the plate.

I can't seem to get away from the Prestwood family, not that I'd want to. Four of Walter and Sue's boys were out playing this season.

I enjoyed some good-natured trash talk with Dalton Prestridge and Carson Dyer, two guys I covered a few years ago when they were student-athletes at John Milledge Academy.

At 33 years old, Kyle Redmond tried to be a little too close to Jesus, sacrificing life and limb in order to get an out in centerfield early this season. Kyle arose from an extended stay on the injured list to go 2-for-3 for the TCA Blue Team in Thursday's championship, though.

Speaking of the championship, I thought I was going to have to use the headline, "Local man impaled by fence" when former Peach Belt Player of the Year and GC&SU Hall of Famer Justin Mills came close to both robbing a home run and winding up in the emergency room Thursday.

Finally, props to the TCA Red Team for coming away as the undisputed league champs. The Red squad was down at least four players in the championship Thursday, but still beat the Blue Team 12-10 to take the title.

Never forget though, Red Team, who handed you your only loss of the season (*cough* Green *cough*). Sorry, must still have some infield dirt in my lungs.