Pro softball to accompany USSSA tournament in July

July in Salisbury. It’ll be hot, hopefully sunny and the USSSA Eastern World Series tournament will be in full swing. Hundreds of amateur softball players will be competing against the top talent the states and Canada have to offer. Joining them this year will be the pros.
“These are some of the best girls softball players in the world,” said Steve Miller, the Director of Wicomico County Recreation, Parks & Tourism.

National Pro Fastpitch, the only professional women’s softball league in the U.S., is teaming up with the Delmarva Shorebirds and Wicomico County. As a result, the Pennsylvania Rebellion and the Akron Racers will face off twice at Perdue Stadium as part of the kickoff for the USSSA tournament.
Miller told 47 ABC, “The first game of this two-game series will be actually the first day of our three-week world series. We’re going to wrap the opening ceremonies into this event,”

Shorebirds General Manager, Chris Bitters, spoke on the talent the young girls will be able see while in town, “These are the girls that they’re watching on TV during the NCAA World Series for women’s softball throughout the year at the collegiate level as well as the folks they’re following on Instagram and social media,”

This July 13th and 14th will be the first time since 2014 that the NPF brought any of its teams to the shore. Possibly boosting what is already a very business-friendly time of year. Last year, the tournament had a $20-million economic impact on the area with 20,000 athletes and their families visiting.

One of the local businesses that cashed in was the Greene Turtle. AJ Davidson of the North Salisbury location told us that last year the Turtle was rocking. Davidson said, “It’s a busy time of year already, so when you add that amount of volume it really starts to boost not only the money we get to walk out with at the end of the night, but the Greene Turtle name gets to get out,”

The Wicomico County Tourism Office does not expect a drastic change for this year’s numbers, currently projecting 350 to 400 teams. Last year over 400 showed up.

Bitters tells us that only the second of the two-game set will be open for the public to purchase tickets. The first game would be for the players and their families only. Don’t worry though, if you’re a softball fan and would like to meet some of the players and get autographs there will be an opportunity for you to head onto the field and do so.

Tickets go on sale on Saturday March 19th and will cost $12 for reserved seating and $10 for general admission.