PREP SOFTBALL: Once a rarity, outfield fences have changed prep softball for the better

By TERRY MONAHAN - Staff Writer | Monday, March 10, 2008 4:04 PM PDT ∞

When softball became a CIF-approved high school sport in the mid-1970s, fields were often crudely carved out on a faraway corner of campus. Outfield fences, at the few schools that bothered to install them, were usually so far from home plate that they had a profound effect on the game.

While baseball teams had to have fences confining their fields, softball players didn't merit the same priority.

Well, they do now.

Today, most North County softball teams have made an outfield fence a necessity, even if it means assembling a temporary fence for practices and games then taking it down every night. New fields have been built and old ones renovated to meet the same standards as boys enjoy on baseball diamonds.

Now every North County softball field has an outfield fence of some sort.

"It's such a different game with a fence as opposed to without," said Torrey Pines coach Jonathan Moore, whose players are in charge of putting up the fence and removing it each day. "It changes the defense, the pitching and even the offense."

Without fences, which are usually about 200 feet down the lines and to center, line drives hit into the gaps go for home runs instead of doubles off a fence. Sharply hit ground balls that just elude an infielder can turn into home runs if outfielders aren't quick enough to cut off the ball.

"That will drive a pitcher crazy,'' Poway coach Jim Bennet said. "You make a good pitch, get the ground ball and get burned.

"We played without fences my first two seasons, and it was like playing in a pasture. So many balls went for homers it was aggravating because it wasn't like real softball."

It's the same for a hitter who puts a charge into a pitch, but the outfielder drifts back beyond where most fences should be and makes a routine catch.

"I've played a ton of games without fences, and it seems like most teams play their outfielders back in Africa when I'm up,'' Oceanside senior shortstop Trina Harrison-Doublet said. "You hit a few shots on the sweet spot and they're caught. That can eat away at your confidence.

"I play center field on my travel team, so I prefer fences on offense and defense. A fence makes it seem like real softball.

"Without a fence, you might as well play like it's a slow-pitch adult league because you won't hit it past an outfielder who is playing way out there.''

Having a fence also changes the way coaches call pitches.

There's more margin for error without a fence, so teams play their fielders deeper than normal.

With a fence, a pitcher aims to hit her spots to keep hitters from getting a pitch that can be pounded over the fence.

"We didn't have a fence when we were playing at University. I liked it that way. That blast that was caught was just a long out," said Cathedral Catholic coach Margaret Mauro, whose current field features a permanent fence that measures 205 feet down each line and 225 to center.

"Now, though, I kind of hate (fields without fences). That ball in the gap is gone, and that's not fair to the pitcher or the defense. The hitter is the only one who likes that.''

Mission Hills' Vanessa Perez began her four-year career with the Grizzlies as a center fielder before moving to shortstop. As a sophomore in a game at Escondido, Perez tried to chase down a long fly headed for the fence.

Perez, who plays on a significantly larger field at Mission Hills, never stopped running until she plowed through the temporary fence.

The ball went for a homer, and three sections of the fence went down with Perez.

"I still get teased about that today,'' said Perez, now a senior. "I was so embarrassed because the day before we had practiced running into a fence to make a catch, and I wasn't really too into the drill. Next day, I ran over a fence.

"I had no idea what happened until I looked up and saw part of the fence gone and the ball bouncing away.

"The next year Coach (Alexis Clement) moved me to short and I was thrilled. It meant no more running into fences for me."

San Marcos coach Molly Turner recalls playing on Escondido's field before the Cougars installed the temporary fence.

"We used to hate those Little League home runs,'' she said. "It was depressing for a pitcher to see a ball roll all the way to auto shop."

While some fences are temporary, some are permanent. Santa Fe Christian's fence is made of brick.

"No ivy, though," coach Darrell Enderlin said. "I wish.''

At Westview, first-year coach Kimberly Carroll is trying to raise $6,000 to move the fences in to about 200 feet, which would make them more softball-friendly rather than the 235 feet it is now to center.

"The field was originally built for baseball, so the fences are ridiculously long,'' Carroll said. "The first time I saw the field I thought, 'Oh no.' ''

Having a fence was so important at Valley Center that coach John Scibilia, who makes his living as a contractor, brought his crew to the field one day to build one.

"Probably would have taken me all weekend to do it (alone)," Scibilia said. "We laid out the plans, and they got it done pretty fast.''

At Oceanside, first-year coach Joe Nuanez is pondering whether to move his fences.

"The girls are getting too strong, so we may have to move them back a bit here in the next few years,'' he said. "We'd never go without it, though."

San Dieguito Academy's Sam Corrao has been forced to put his fence up every day and take it down at night. In past years, vandals would snap off the poles a couple of times each season.

Ramona, which has played games at a handful of sites, including the fields at the district office, moved back to campus this season onto a new field with a permanent fence at 190 feet to left, center and right, which is great news for coach Mike Schuler, who tired of the woes associated with temporary fencing.

"We had a game where the wind blew down about nine panels during the game,'' he said. "We had a bunch of dads go out and stand there and lean on it the rest of the game.''

With campus renovation complete at Mt. Carmel, Ruby Chavez has moved her fences back to 200 feet in left and right and 213 feet in center.

Even with fences that are too short ---- the Sundevils hit eight homers in a game last year against San Marcos ---- it's better than playing without one.

"I've always hated that ground ball home run,'' Chavez said. "It's not softball if tweeners are homers. If you hit a shot over the fence at least you've earned it."

La Costa Canyon's Mike Hill tells his outfielders to play back about 250 feet from home plate on fields without a fence.

"If the ball gets over their head or past them, I tell them you're coming out," he said. "I saw (Harrison-Doublet) hit a ball 270 feet over the outfielder's head in a travel ball game.

"I didn't take her out because that one wasn't anyone's fault. Trina just crushed it.''

Hitting the ball over the fence didn't happen often at Rancho Bernardo until last year when four shots scaled the eight-foot fence that sits 190 feet from home plate down the lines and 220 to center.

"Normally, the homer doesn't figure into our daily plans,'' said first-year Broncos coach Steve Kuptz. "It's still a rarity.''

Contact staff writer Terry Monahan at (760) 739-6648 or tmonahan@nctimes.com. Comment at nctvarsity.com.

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