YAKIMA, Wash. -- For girls who grew up inhaling the infield, who learned to squint into the setting sun when a fly ball sails out to center and who measure time in innings instead of hours, softball is something that's hard to give up, even as grown women.

"It's just the sport. I love to play, being with my friends, being competitive," 39-year-old Lola Cozad says while in the dugout during a recent Wednesday night double-header at the Gateway Sports Complex at Kiwanis Park, which hosts the Yakima Parks and Recreation's softball games.

While men's slowpitch still dominates with about 50 to 60 teams turning out for each of the four seasons, about 10 to 18 women's teams take the field during each of the three seasons for women's slowpitch.

Like many of her teammates, Cozad started when she was 12 years old and has played off and on ever since.

"As long as I can still hit and catch, they want me," Cozad says with a laugh.

A few minutes later, she wallops the ball into right-center for an easy single.

"See, I can still hit," she yells after touching first.

For her slowpitch team, made up of Native American women from the Lower Valley, these midweek games are good practice for the all-Indian tournaments on the weekends. Many on the team also play coed ball with their cousins, says coach and pitcher Wah-Leah Washines, who also broke in her first glove as a girl.

"I love it all," says the 32-year-old Washines. "All of our dads played. We grew up on a softball field.

"We used to go swimming in that duck pond over there and would have to ride home in the back of the truck," adds Washines with a laugh.

Now, their kids ride Razor scooters around the concessions stand or sit and draw pictures while the moms snag line drives and knock in runs.

Across in the opposing team's stands, 29-year-old Teresa Ferreira sits briefly with her husband and daughters while her team is at bat. Ferreira, who pitches and is a big hitter, started as a tween, too. She and her husband, Shane, played on a coed team before the work-a-day world got in the way.

"It's softball," she says about why she still plays. "It's fun, it gets you out here with a bunch of girlfriends and family."

Not that these women aren't out to win.

They play hard -- but, granted, a little slower than their younger years -- heckle the umpire about questionable calls, holler encouragement to teammates and huddle up for cheers before taking the field.

"We do what we love to do," says Washines, "which is play softball."

* Kim Nowacki can be reached at 509-577-7680 or knowacki@yakimaherald.com.