The NCAA season is in the midst of a summer siesta, but a crosstown rivalry never dies.
This past Saturday, on an overcast morning, a tradition unlike any other continued.
Two proud programs battled on a field that has been the home of legends, fighting to claim both bragging rights and the right to shout their fight song to the heavens.
Yes, this was Orientation Softball 2008. Each year, the summer orientation staffs from UCLA and USC face off in a battle royale of epic proportions.
Continuing a tradition that spans several years, this year’s edition took place at Easton Stadium. While the quality of play was not always up to par with the Bruin greats that have graced that field throughout the years, it sure was a lot of fun.
Aside from intramural sports, I’ve had minimal slow-pitch experience. This fact inevitably manifests itself into a myriad of negative consequences in the field of play.
Wasted at-bats, hurried, off-target throws and bruises are generally the result of this sort of game for me.
Yet, entrusted to the position of shortstop by my fellow peers, I felt some responsibility for helping bring the trophy (a Whiffle ball-headed, Oscar-looking thing) back to Westwood.
The ground rules: slow-pitch softball, three pitches per at-bat and nine innings of chaos, er, fun.
This was a game in which fly balls turned into triples, and no out was taken for granted.
Scattered among the plethora of misplays were a few diamonds in the proverbial rough, among them a sliding grab at third and a diving stab on a line drive to second.
The defensive poetry was equaled by some scorching hits at home plate.
The game itself was rarely close as we, the Bruins, rode on the strength of five first-inning runs to a comfortable victory.
Our vanquished Trojan foes, however, put up a strong showing, creeping back into the game and cutting the margin to four at one point.
It was time for me to play a pivotal part in the outcome of the contest. With the bases loaded and a brilliant chance to put the game out of reach, yours truly stepped to the plate, tapped his bat once and launched a screamer high into the air ““ and directly into the catcher’s mitt.
I gained penance for a double-play in the next half-inning however, and the UCLA lead remained intact.
The orientation staff softball game has meaning far beyond the final score, however. This was a day for unity, community and an exchange of support for those working toward a similar cause.
It was a chance to take a break from the strain and strife of our day jobs, filled to the brim with academic advising, late-night meetings and 10-minute dinner rushes.
After the game, team photos were taken, culminating in an impressive group shot, both blue and cardinal speckled across the frame. Outside the stadium sat a table with a banquet’s worth of food for both sides.
The green grass near the front gates of Easton became a meeting ground for socializing. The meeting and greeting between erstwhile rivals was a refreshing sight.
What made this game special, then, was not that the Bruins won ““ which was nice, by the way ““ but the class, on and off the field, exuding from the young men and women with similar experiences and passions. This was a time when it was indeed possible for bitter rivals to put aside their differences for a day of fun in the sun.