The Softball Pitcher is the Most Influential Position on the Team Coach said there is no “I” in team, yet sometimes it felt as if there should be one. As the only pitcher on my high school fast-pitch softball team, I was often exhausted by the end of a game, but I knew my only option was to keep pitching. Although the fielders behind me were trying hard, none were great athletes; we all knew that if I did not strike a batter out, my defense would often be unable to make an out in the field. In fast-pitch softball, the pitcher is the team’s most influential position by limiting batter effectiveness, staying physically and mentally tough, and being a key fielder. The first line of pitching defense is to prevent hits by making it difficult …show more content…
There is usually only one primary pitcher on a fast-pitch softball team for the season. An overhand pitch is used in high school baseball, and the stress on the joints is such that players may only throw up to 105 pitches per game, with days between games also regulated (Regular Season Pitching Rules, n.d.). In softball, the underhand windmill pitch has less joint stress, so softball pitchers do not have a limit on number of pitches or innings. They will pitch the entire game, and often two games back to back, tallying up 200 or 300 pitches in a day. Pitchers must be in excellent physical condition to keep up this …show more content…
The mound is only forty-three feet from home plate, so the pitcher must have very fast reflexes to field a hit directed right back to her. She is off-balance from the momentum of the pitch and focused on the ball more than the batter, but her help in catching infield balls is crucial to the team. Batters hitting short bunts or the newly popular slap hits mean the pitcher and third baseman need to coordinate to cover both the shallow and deep infield (Spaventa, n.d.). The pitcher is closest to home plate and is relied upon to field the hits in front of