News Scrapbook 1985

ATeam With Plenty of Characters Buck's Softball Club Seeks Second State Championship "'JL/ , -~--- By CHRIS ELLO softball coach at the Unj~ r§il.Y of Sao.Diego. Center.

"We have such a supportive team," said Keri Gloyna, the doctor and second baseman who leads the team with a .538 batting average. "Because of everybody's attitude, we were thinking of changing our team name to 'Life's A Beach.' Nobody hangs her head on this team." The sociology professor, Robert Buck, talks about his team v,flile Please see SOFTBALL, Pap 11.

SAN DIEGO-At first glance it looks like a cast of characters for a new soap opera. The team captain is a doctor. Another player, the team's veteran after only three years, is going back to college to finish her studies. The first baseman just returned from her honeymoon in Hawaii. The coach IS a sociology professor at San Diego State and an assistant

The coach is used to seeing his cast come and go. But this group is as together on the field as they are separate off it. It shows in their record. Buck's Softball Club, which is in its seventh year of amateur slo-pitch league play in the San Diego area, has been invited to go for its second consecutive Amateur Softball Assn. state championship today at the Imperial Beach Sports

TIMRUE Shortstop Lisa Noriega zeroes in on a ground ball during practice.

Los Angeles, CA (Los Angeles Co) Times (San Diego Ed .) (Cir. D 50,010) (Cir. S 55,573) AUG 1 ° 1 o- .Jllltn'• P. c. e

£.r. 1888

ETBALL.

been around long enough o see a j complete changeover of the team's roster. "We really have lot of talented players," Fisher said. "We all have a lot of .fun. I like this league because 1t 1s so competitive. In slo-pitch, defense is so important and that's what I hkc about it.'' ' After this weekend's tourna - ment, Fisher will head back to the University of San Francisco to finish her studies. But, Buck is used to change. "Our top player, Darlene Beards- ley, was MVP of the state tourna- ment last year, hut we just Jost her because she got married and moved to Bakersfield," Buck said. "I'm sure ( Padre General Manager ) Jack McKean doesn't have those kind of problems." Probably not. But every soap opera has a different story line.

then pounds a hot shot down the third-base line. Jennifer Madarazo, a graduate of Madison High School in 1984 and a newcomer to the team, gloves it and throws to first. "Boy, she sure has a hell of an arm," Buck says. "And she's taking somcthmg off those throws." Madarazo, hittmg .505 for Buck's team, was playing in a league in Cla1remont earlier this year when Buck discovered her. "He was just waiting for me afler a game, and he asked me if I wanted to play," she said. "I get so excited when I play softball. And this team is great. I like slo -pitch a lot better than fast-pitch because you can't keep your average at .505 playing fast-pitch " Taking Madarazo's throws at first base is the team's veteran. Carolyn Fisher, playing in her second year for Buck's team, has

:Ju~('

watching batting practice this week at Presidio Park, "Most of our players are ex-college athletes who live in San Diego. I do a Jot of scouting around the area and a lot of the players contact me about trymg out for the team. Our main objective 1s to have fun." Buck personally provides about $2,500 a season to run the team which is about half of the financiai support needed. The players make up the difference, paying about $200 each to help cover equipment and registration costs. Last year, the team earned a berth in the national amateur tour- nament in Colorado Springs, Colo., but was unable to attend because of a lack of funds. Buck said that if they quahfy for this year's tourna- ment in Austm, Minn., they will have to pass again. " e'd love to participate but basically it's hard to find any San Diego companies who will support athletics," Buck said. "We aren't able lo compete in any tourna- ments if we can't come home and sleep in our own beds." Buck estimated that his team would need $7,000 to compete in this year's national tournament. Meanwhlle, battmg practice con- tinues and Buck offers tips and encouragement. Nani Sadora, the recently mar- r1ed first baseman, is the team's top power hitter, and she unloads upon a few high -arching tosses during batting practice. "That's the way to go, Nani," Buck shouts. "It doesn't look like you've lost a thing." Sadora,aninsurancerepresenta- tive off the field, missed the final month of the regular season while she honeymooned in Hawaii. "I simply love softball," Sadora said. "And this (upcoming) tourna- ment is important to me. I was injured during last year's state championships, so this time I have more of a go-for-it attitude.'' Sadora, a right-handed hitter,

•