Sports

The Senior League Softball World Series, being held at the Pyle Center in Roxana for the fifth year started off its week of championship games this past Sunday at 3:30 p.m. with its opening ceremonies, amidst blue skies and oppressive August heat — the perfect backdrop for playing ball.

With the Little League Senior Softball World Series under way in Roxana, the fans are definitely witnessing plenty of exciting action on the field. Ten teams are aggressively swinging for the title, including the hosting District III team from Laurel, five teams representing their regions across the country and four international clubs.

The USA West team overcame a rough start Tuesday and used powerful hitting and efficient pitching to knock off Canada in a 13-3 win at the Senior League Softball World Series in Roxana.

When you live here, it’s easy to ride by a place day after day and never really notice it. If it’s off the beaten track a bit and there’s no reason to turn in or check it out, the hustle and bustle of life at the beach can make it easy for some places to hide from the masses and exist quietly among their surroundings.

While the girls are on the field, stealing bases and the spotlight, it’s easy to forget all of the donations, time and effort that goes into the World Series. The tournament would not be possible if it weren’t for the volunteers, medical and emergency staff, and, of course, the umpires.

It’s hard to imagine doing anything other than sleeping after a 21-hour flight that encompasses four cities and two continents. Well, maybe showering or eating…

Four out of the past five years, the Laurel Little League Senior Softball team has advanced as the District III champs to host the Senior League Softball World Series. They return this year, hoping to improve on their record when they finished third in the world in 2007.

The Sea Colony pools are infested with sharks… the youth swim team, that is. The Sea Colony Sharks, boasting 105 members between the ages of five to 18, are preparing to send their top performers, 44 of whom qualified, to the annual Delmarva Swim Association (DSA) Championships in Dover this Saturday.

One week from this Sunday, the opening day of the Little League Senior Softball World Series will kick off in Roxana. Teams from all over the world will make their way to Sussex County to compete for the title. The tournament, hosted each year by the District III champions, will run from Aug. 3 to Aug. 9.

The Malibu’s Classic ESA surf contest sponsored by Malibu’s Surf Shop on 8th Street in Ocean City, Md., ran for it’s 14th year this past Saturday, July 12, in great waves, compliments of Hurricane Bertha, situated just below Bermuda.

The Warriors of American Legion Post 28 had an up-and-down battle this week, as they failed to clench a consistent streak. Come-from-behind wins on the part of Delaware Post 1 posed problems for the Warriors as they slipped in Saturday’s doubleheader at McKean High School.

At 16, Bethany Beach resident Christina Vosters is already defying odds and demonstrating athletic excellence. She has registered her performance in an array of contact sports at Worchester Preparatory School in Berlin, Md., and tallied undefeated seasons on the tennis team, but it’s her passion on the links that has recently helped her ascend to the top.

Beaches worldwide have coaxed new breeds of athletes and thrill-seekers, from surfers and skimmers to body- and wake-boarders. Now there’s another sensation that’s hitting the water, catching curious eyes and ambitious beachgoers. Welcome to the world of SUP (stand-up paddle) surfing.

Though their season started off shakier than expected, the American Legion Post 28 Warriors seem to have grounded themselves in a comfortable stance as the team approaches its season midpoint. Coming off back-to-back wins against the Milford Red Sox of Post 3, the 6-7 Warriors are showing stability as they improve to 4-3 in the Southern Division.

“You’re only as good as the people you surround yourself with.” All his life, Mark Browne has lived by that motto, from his youthful days playing a variety of sports to his leadership as head coach of the Indian River softball program.