I covered the Standley Lake Softball home opener yesterday for MaxPreps.  The last softball I shot was for Knik Little League in Eagle River, AK.  So this was a new experience for me.  Let me tell you right off the “bat”, these girls are serious ballplayers.

I drove over to Standley Lake High School early because I had not been there before, so I was not sure about where the field was, where parking was, and I really wanted to talk to the coaches and officials prior to walking onto the field.  This also gave me a chance to hand out the MaxPreps cards.  Everyone was so nice at the field.  From coaches to staff and parents.  And the fans were great, on both sides of the field.

It was a clear, sunny, hot day on the softball diamond with no shade to escape the heat.  Thankfully I had packed my camelbak with ice water prior to heading to the field.  I definitely needed it.  (When I got back into the car after the game the thermostat read 109, but it was actually only around 95)

I packed for the game light.  I had my camelbak, my ThinkTakePhoto speed belt and speed changer to hold my light meter, extra batteries, and memory cards, my Canon 1DMKII with 70-200 2.8 and my Canon 7D with my Sigma 120-300 2.8 lens on it.  I did not take my little spin stool, which I should have.  My plan was to shoot the first two innings from the first base side, then move to the third base side for the next 2 innings, and then finish up outside of the field shooting from behind the batter at the pitcher.

However, my shooting plan going into the game would change drastically as the home team Standley Lake Gators would take it to the visiting Northglenn team.  While Northglenn got on the board first with 2 runs in the top of the first, but when the home Gators took the field in the bottom half of the first, they unloaded on Northglenn with 7 runs and never looked back.

The first inning seemed to go on and on, but unlike little league softball, it was because of good hitting, base running, and good pitching.  Both teams came prepared to play, but Standley Lake, with the home field advantage, just played a bit better.

The second inning went a bit faster with Northglenn not crossing the plate, and Standley Lake only managing 1 run, moving to a 8 to 2 lead after 2 innings.  I started shooting in the first base media box (a chalk box) with a NBC News9 video guy (Hey Alaska people, did you know KTUU’s and Eagle River’s own Todd Walker is now here in Denver, Co?) and over in the third base media box was a local newspaper photographer.  I could see he was struggling, shooting into the sun, and I switched with him after the second inning, which was my plan all along, but he seemed really happy to get the sun at his back.

So, I shot the third inning from third base, and at the top of the inning Northglenn again was unable to get any runs across the plate, but in the bottom half, the Gators of Standley Lake (I wonder if they are called Lady Gators?) crossed the plate with three more runs, giving them a 11 to 2 lead.  Facing the sun, draining my Camelbak, I started to wonder if there was a 10 run rule in Colorado high school softball.

The top of the 4th started, and again Northglenn was unable to chip away at the Standley Lake lead but in the bottom half of the inning Standley Lake unloaded on the visitors with 7 more runs.  When the 7th run in the inning crossed the plate the umpire called the game.  15 runs lead after 4 innings and the game was called.

I was a little disappointed that the game ended because at the end of the 4th I planned on changing position to get head on shots of the pitchers, but I was also happy it was over because I was hot.  A couple things I would change at this field for the media, move the boxes for the media and add base coach boxes.  The location of the media boxes and where the first and third basemen set up block the view of the pitcher totally.  It was all but impossible to get a clean view of the pitcher.  I walked away with 2 clean shots of the pitcher, but it was at the ball release, not all torqued up for delivery (softball pitchers will know what I am talking about.  Also, the base coaches seemed to like to wander, and at times there was not a clear shot of the batters because the base coach had wandered right into our view.  But other than those two things, the game, staff, everyone was great.  Looking forward to the Arvada West and Boulder softball game today.