2024 Fastpitch Softball at SMLL

Sierra Mountain Wildflowers

This page describes the 2025 spring softball season at SMLL.
For our first year, see 2023 Softball
For our 2nd year, see 2024 Softball

PLEASE NOTE: The rules below are a work in progress until pre-season planning is complete at the end of signups.

Divisions

8U/Minors Player Pitch

Ages 6-8
Ball 11” soft/reduced impact force to 11” hard
Pitch Distance 35’
Base Distance 60’

8U is a learning division where young girls with some experience and growing strength build a stronger understanding of game strategy and position-oriented skills. We encourage coaches to rotate players through all positions throughout the season.

This is a player pitch division. Coaches should begin teaching girls to throw a fastpitch from the very beginning of the season, and teams should approach early games with extra patience as all teams will be developing brand new pitchers.

6-year-olds should have spent a season in tee ball before joining softball. Otherwise, we encourage them to play tee ball or coach-pitch baseball first. They will need to attend an assessment day and have coach approval before joining 8U.

8U Ground Rules

  • Only 1 extra base on an overthrow
  • No stealing
  • Parent or coach may serve as umpire
  • Defensive coaches are allowed and encouraged to be on the field during game play to instruct their players
  • 5 run limit per team per inning

8U Pitching

  • 5 balls per batter
  • 3 strikes per batter
  • 8 pitches max per hitter
  • Batters can run when fouling off a 3rd-strike hit
  • No outs are called on a 3rd strike; player simply returns to the dugout
  • After 3 walked batters, player pitching should rotate out
  • Half-inning ends when all players have played through the lineup, defense causes 3 fielded outs, or 5 runs are scored

8U Stealing

Stealing is not permitted in 8U.

Once a ball is in the pitcher’s control, a runner may not leave their base until a batter hits the ball into fair territory.

10U/Minors AAA

Ages 9-10
Ball 11” standard softball
Pitch Distance 35’
Base Distance 60’

10U is our transition division, where girls begin to play strictly by the rules of softball.

10U Ground Rules

  • Parent or coach may serve as umpire if no official is available
  • 5 run limit per team per inning

10U Pitching

  • After 5 walked batters, player pitching should rotate out

10U Stealing

Stealing rules follow those of regular Little League Minors softball. Essentially, don’t lead off until the ball reaches the batter. In the rulebook’s words:

Rule 7.08(a)(5)(b) Minor League:
“Any runner is out when… the runner fails to keep in contact with the base to which that runner is entitled until the ball has been batted or reaches the batter.”

12U/Majors

Ages 11-12
Ball 12” standard
Pitch Distance 40’
Base Distance 60’

12U is our Majors division, with full Little League Majors softball rules.

12U Ground Rules

  • Parent or coach may serve as umpire if no official is available

12U+ Stealing

Stealing rules follow those of regular Little League Majors softball: stay on base until the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand. In the rulebook’s words:

Rule 7.08(a)(5)(a) Major/Junior Divisions:
“Any runner is out when… the runner fails to keep contact with the base to which that runner is entitled until the ball has been released by the pitcher on the delivery.”

15U/Juniors

Ages 13-15
Ball 12” standard
Pitch Distance 43’
Base Distance 60’

15U Ground Rules

  • 40 foot pitch distance may be used if a pitching mound is available at 40 feet and not 43 feet
  • Parent or coach may serve as umpire if no official is available

Nearby Leagues

SMLL’s nearest competitors for interleague play are, from nearest to farthest:

Yosemite Little League (aka YLL)
Midweek games are played at Spring Valley Elementary School: Rd 200, O’Neals, CA 93645
Saturday games are played at Minarets High School: Rd 200, O’Neals, CA 93645
Mariposa Girls Softball (aka MGSL)
Games are played at Mariposa County High School: 5074 Old Hwy N, Mariposa, CA 95338

Madera National Little League (aka Madera)

Sunnyside Little League (aka Sunnyside)

2025 Schedules

This is a quick reference. Please see published schedules for official times.

     March 2025            April 2025             May 2025
Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa  Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa  Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa
                   1         1  2  3  4  5               1  2  3
 2  3  4  5  6  7  8   6  7  8  9 10 11 12   4  5  6  7  8  9 10
 9 10 11 12 13 14 15  13 14 15 16 17 18 19  11 12 13 14 15 16 17
16 17 18 19 20 21 22  20 21 22 23 24 25 26  18 19 20 21 22 23 24
23 24 25 26 27 28 29  27 28 29 30           25 26 27 28 29 30 31
30 31

8U: 4 teams

Game Times: 60 minutes or 6 innings 1
Locations: SMLL, OCI Field 2, YLL
General schedule:

  • Tues: 5:30pm @ SMLL or OCI
  • Thurs: 5:30pm @ SMLL or OCI
  • Sat: 10am @ SMLL or OCI

10U: 5 teams

Game Times: 90 minutes or 6 innings 1
Locations: SMLL softball, OCI Field 1, YLL
General schedule:

  • Tues: 6pm @ SMLL or OCI
  • Thurs: 6pm @ SMLL or OCI
  • Sat: 10am @ SMLL, YHS, or Wasuma

12U: 5 teams

Game Times: 90 minutes or 6 innings 1
Locations: SMLL softball, YHS Varsity & JV, YLL, MHS Varsity
General schedule:

  • Tues: 6pm @ SMLL or YHS
  • Thurs: 6pm @ SMLL or YHS
  • Sat: 10am @ SMLL, YHS, or Wasuma

15U: 2 teams

Game Times: 90 minutes or 6 innings 1
Locations: SMLL softball, YHS Varsity & JV, YLL, MHS Varsity
General schedule:

  • Thurs: 6pm @ SMLL or YHS
  • Sat: 10am @ SMLL or YHS

  1. For game limits in marked divisions, no new inning is started after the time or inning limit is reached. Once an inning has started, it must be finished regardless of time unless the home team is ahead. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4