WEST SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - It was a day of baseball (and softball) last Saturday in West Sacramento as kids and families flocked to the ball fields for Opening Day.

Last year, there were only about 50 girls that signed up to play ball for West Sac Girls Softball. In 2022, that number has jumped up to 170 players. This has allowed the league to form 14 teams.

Opening Day ceremonies took place on Saturday to kick off the season. Excitement was in the air along with the smell of barbeque. Mayor Martha Guerrero and Vice Mayor Quirina Orozco both gave very encouraging speeches to the girls about being strong people.

At West Sac Girls Softball it is a standard procedure to award the All-Star athletes their medals from the year before. This year, they awarded the medals from the 2021 and 2019 seasons. They also awarded three 14-year-olds their awards from last season. 

11-year-old Ally came onto the field, took a couple of deep, calming breaths and sang the national anthem like she knew had been there before. She even added a little attitude and did a great job.

The league then brought out the youngest player to announce, “Let’s play ball!” The girls went to the fields that their games would be on, and the season began.

Six games were played Saturday with the following results:

8U- Crushers 0, Honey badgers 0

10U – Purple Panthers, 15 Ice 6; West Sac Wolfpack 18, Red Flames 6; Ice 13, Thunder 9

12U – West Sac Wicked 12 – West Sac Thunder 11