NORTHBOROUGH – It was a rainy Sunday afternoon when the Northborough and Westborough softball teams faced off at Melican Middle School.
This was the second spring softball league.
Westborough Recreation Director Jenn Kirkland said the program has been really great.
“Everyone enjoys themselves, and the best part of it is, people get what this is,” she said.
“They know it is a non-competitive rec league designed for people to socialize, get some exercise and have fun.”
As Northborough Recreation Director Allie Lane described it, she had wanted to play softball. So, she called Westborough, Southborough, Grafton and Hudson, asking if they wanted to form a softball league.
Initially, she thought that each town would put forward one team, but Northborough, Hudson and Westborough put forward three teams while Grafton and Southborough had two teams.
“We’ve had a huge league. It was very successful,” Lane said. “In fact, everybody wanted to play in the summer.”
Kirkland said there has consistently been at least 12 teams each spring.
“Westborough has three teams, and, truthfully, we could probably field another team, but field schedules are tight in the spring,” Kirkland said.
A summer league ended up being added, too. Kirkland said, while Westborough’s league is only offered in the spring, Northborough’s league is open to players from all of the participating towns to join.
Some of the players participating on that day said they joined the league because they loved the game and previously played in either high school or college.
Westborough player Mary Spencer has been playing with the league for two years. She said she’s been able to make new friends participating in the league.
“It’s an excuse to get out and do something fun and something for myself,” Spencer said. “Usually I’m doing things for the rest of my family, and this is for me.”
“It’s nice, since this is my first year, to meet some new people in town,” added Megan Leary. “I grew up here, but it’s been fun to relive the old glory days a little bit since a lot of us played in a former life.”
