The 2011 intramural softball season provided some Loyola Law School students with an opportunity to get away from their studies and enjoy the game they love.

Although number-one-seeded Hung Jury, a team comprised solely of Loyola Law School students, was upset in the first round, they said they enjoyed their time on the diamond and the “escape” from the hectic nature of law school.

“The majority of us went out there for the love of the game. We used softball as an excuse to get away from the library and just hang out,” said Daniel Perez, Hung Jury captain.

Although Perez enjoyed playing intramural softball, he said he felt the league did not compare favorably to Loyola’s other intramural leagues.

“It is less competitive than football or basketball. For some reason, not as many teams signed up, and the managing of the league was decent. For (the) playoffs, the field was double booked, and we ended up having to play on a small field which I think affected the outcome of my team’s playoff run,” Perez said.

For Paul Mitchell, captain of champion Law school team, Super Doodz, intramural softball provided the same great experience as other Loyola intramural sports.

“I think the softball league was pretty well run. All of us had a great time playing, and the officiating was great as always. We have had a good time in all of (the intramural) leagues, so I think this one compared favorably,” Mitchell said.

Super Doodz was able to win the championship by using what Mitchell described as “cheat code ball,” a system of attempting to score as many runs as possible while shutting down the opposing team’s offense.

“Some call it King Kong ball. It’s a mutated variation of the Gorilla Ball scheme introduced by LSU in the 90s,” Mitchell said.

Unlike Hung Jury, the members of Super Doodz said they enjoyed playing at Carrollton Playground’s Larry Gilbert Field due to its proximity to Loyola.

“It was nicely kept and pretty close to all of us,” Mitchell said.

Zach Bracey, assistant director of Wellness for the University Sports Complex who oversees intramurals, said Larry Gilbert Field has been adequate for hosting Loyola’s intramural softball league, but he is always trying to improve intramurals in any way possible.

“I may look into the option of using Avenger Field next year for softball and soccer,” Bracey said. “We used to play softball out there before we moved to the Fly, and now Larry Gilbert. Since we do not have the field space on campus, it is important to find space as close as possible.”

Richard Dempsey can be reached at [email protected]