WOODBURY — In sports, the only thing you want to do is play your position. But for baseball players, the CIAC says they can’t always do that.
For baseball pitchers, the CIAC mandates that no pitcher throws over 110 pitches in one game, and after that they must rest for three calendar days.
On the other hand, softball doesn’t have a pitch count, because underhand pitching is considered a more natural motion for the shoulder where baseball pitching isn’t considered a natural motion.
“The mechanics of throwing a baseball are not really what the human body was designed to do,” says baseball coach Kyle Brennan. “When you are constantly throwing at high velocity, it can cause wear and tear on your shoulder [and] your elbow.”
To keep pitchers’ arms fresh, the Nonnewaug baseball team has three starting pitchers and around six more to come in when one of the starters needs a relief.
However, softball can put their pitcher in for as many games and as many pitches as desired.
One of Nonnewaug’s softball pitchers, Scarlett Ivey, has never found a problem with her shoulder during and after pitching, though she becomes fatigued and that can lead to wild pitches.
”Sometimes if I pitch a lot in a game, if it’s like 100-plus pitches, then sometimes I start to get tired, but nothing really hurts after.” Says Ivy
Baseball pitching is wildly different from softball, which is why baseball has a pitch count and a certain amount of days off after pitching.
When a baseball pitcher throws 25 pitches and under, they are not required by the CIAC to have a day of rest. However, if they throw 26-50 pitches it is required for the player to have one day of rest. When a pitcher throws 51-75 pitches two days of rest is required, and the maximum amount of pitches that a pitcher is allowed to throw is 76-110 pitches, after throwing the pitcher is required three days of rest.
Unlike Ivey, some of Nonnewaug’s baseball pitchers face soreness after pitching.
“Sometimes I have elbow problems after pitching,” says Nonnewaug freshman Patrick Martinetto.
Martinetto typically throws around 80 pitches when he’s on the mound, which requires three days of rest.
