Seniors stoke competitive softball fires at Southwest Championship

After 4½ innings and a few pulled hamstrings, the Las Vegas Senior Softball Association Elite 70’s team found themselves trailing by five runs to U.S. Pallet 70 from St. Louis.

For early on a Tuesday morning, the tension in the dugout was real.

“It’s going to take a little blood and sweat, and forget the tears,” team member Dan Kelly said.

The team rallied to tie the game but lost 16-13 in its second game of seed play in the LVSSA/Senior Softball-USA Southwest Championship at Big League Dreams in Las Vegas. The tournament, which features 214 teams from 14 states, features men ages 65 to 85 through Thursday, while men 60 and younger and all women play Friday through Sunday in Las Vegas.

Playing softball keeps the participants active and exercising, but a competitive fire still burns in the players, too.

“My goal here is to get a ring,” Kelly said.

The Elite 70’s play in the Triple-A Division of the Men’s 70 bracket, meaning each member of the team has to be at least 70. Each age bracket in the tournament has separate divisions for skill level, too, going from Major-Plus to Major to Triple-A to Double-A.

The event keeps growing. When it first came to Las Vegas in 2012, there were about 120 teams.

There’s a number of rules in the tournament for safety, such as an extra base at first for runners to step on and a line to the left of the plate marking home so collisions are avoided. That still doesn’t stop some players from going all-out, such as one Elite 70 outfielder who took a tumble after making a running catch in the second inning in right field.

”The guys and gals that play at the advanced age … they’re probably some of the most amazing athletes on the planet, believe it or not,” Senior Softball-USA marketer Joe Lecak said. “To watch what they do, it’s just crazy.”

The Men’s 40 to Men’s 60 age brackets play with 10 fielders, and in age groups older than that, teams are allowed to put 11 on defense. That doesn’t stop teams from generating offense, as Senior Softball-USA CEO Terry Hennessy said players’ hitting generally stays consistent through the years.

The Elite 70’s certainly backed up that theory Tuesday, hitting a number of balls hard in the gap in a game that turned out to be a slugfest. The team also showed it still has some speed on the base paths, legging out doubles and triples to keep the game competitive.

“Not bad for a bunch of old farts,” team member George Fernandes said during the game.

The team ranges in experience. Manager Al Castaldy, a former firefighter and engineer at The Venetian, has played senior ball for 28 years, and Kelly, a former corrections officer, started four years ago. Both were looking for ways to stay competitive and active into their later years, and eventually stumbled into the same thing.

“There’s nothing like it. There’s no losers in this game,” said Castaldy, 79. “Win or lose, the fellas are out here playing, enjoying themselves. They’re adding years to their life.”

Tour de Summerlin

The 16th annual Tour de Summerlin takes place Saturday, with the race starting in Downtown Summerlin. The 80-mile ride begins at 7 a.m., and there’s also a later 60- and 40-mile ride.

Potential riders can register from noon-7 p.m. at McGhies Ski, Bike & Board in Las Vegas. Bike rentals are also available at the store.

Ben Gotz can be reached at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.