Salem held its annual One Pitch Tournament on Saturday, April 26th. This is a unique event that is held the Saturday before the DAMSL regular season begins. For those unfamiliar, the rules are simple but intense: every at-bat boils down to one pitch. A ball means a walk, while a strike or foul ends the at-bat with an out. This quick-decision gameplay keeps the energy high and the games fast-paced (games take about 45 minutes each) making it a favorite event for players to shake the rust out after a long winter.

This year, seven teams participated: Karmel, New Hope, North Isanti, Oxlip, Refuge, River of Life, and Salem.

The tournament unfolded amidst great weather, with afternoon temperatures settling comfortably in the mid-60s. Players and fans alike enjoyed the sunshine as teams battled through elimination rounds, bringing their A-game to each one-pitch showdown.

In the championship game, host team Salem faced off against Karmel in a nail-biting finale. Both teams showcased impressive teamwork and determination, but in the end, Karmel edged out Salem by just one run, earning the title of 2025 Salem One Pitch Tournament champions.

Congratulations to Karmel for their hard-fought victory and a big thank-you to all participating teams for making this year’s tournament a success. The excitement, camaraderie, and sportsmanship on display were a perfect kickoff to the DAMSL season ahead.

The DAMSL is gearing up for another thrilling season, and with it comes a handful of new or modified rules designed to enhance gameplay, ensure fairness, and uphold the league’s values. Here’s a rundown of the key changes for 2025:

1. The courtesy runner rule has been modified for D1 only. The previous rules still apply to D2, D3, and youth. The new D1 rule is: Two pinch runners are allowed per inning w/o restriction. Any player can pinch run for any other player. All batters must get to first base before a courtesy runner can come in. If a courtesy runner is on base and his/her turn at bat comes up they shall be called out at the base they are on, vacate the base and shall take their turn at bat.
2. The foul language rule/penalties have been re-written to establish clear guidelines. The new wording is: Foul language will not be tolerated. Please remind all players and coaches during pre-game field rules before each game as there will be no warnings given. If a player swears loud enough where it can be heard by others, OR directs profanity at another person no matter how quiet, the following penalties will be enforced:
   • 1st Offense: The player is ejected from the current game.
   • 2nd Offense: The player will be ejected from the current game and suspended from the entire next game, even if this is during the tournament. If this happens during the final game of the season, the player will serve the suspension the 1st game of the following season.
   • 3rd Offense: The player will be suspended for the remainder of the current season and will need to appeal to the league board to get reinstated and a meeting with the church pastor will be required.
3. The rule regarding switching teams has been updated to the following: Players are allowed to switch teams once during the season, but once they make the switch, they must remain with the new team for the rest of the season. Players from an equal or lower division team within the same church may temporarily sub for an equal or higher division team to prevent a forfeit and then return to their original team. However, higher division players may not sub for a lower division team. They are, however, allowed to make a permanent switch to a lower division team, following the same one-time transfer rule.
4. There is a new rule regarding churches sponsoring teams: All teams must have a single sponsoring church. The intent of this rule is to ensure that there is a pastor/board to work with if any issues arise with a team.
5. A new rule has been added regarding writing in spots for missing females into the top 10 of the lieup: Females need to be written into the lineup when missing to account for rule 47. Note: Rule 47 is: On a walk to a male batter with a female batter following (intentional or not) the male batter will advance to 2nd base and the female batter will bat for herself. All base runner will advance to the next base forced to. If a male batter is walked and there are 2 outs, the female will be given the option of hitting or receiving an automatic walk. (This rule does not apply to youth)
6. New penalties have been added for cancelled games: Cancelled games need to be made up before the last game of the regular season or both teams will take a loss.
7. Finally, there is a new rule for roster limits to ensure teams are not so large that not everyone is able to play: There is a limit of 20 players per roster.

These updates reflect DAMSL’s dedication to creating a fun, inclusive, and faith-centered softball experience. As we step into the 2025 season, let’s embrace these changes and continue to celebrate the spirit of sportsmanship and community that defines our league. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to the league director or any of the board members.

Attention DAMSL softball players and coaches! Don’t forget to mark your calendars for the 2025 tournament dates: Saturday, August 2nd for the youth league, and Friday, August 8th to Sunday, August 10th for the adult leagues. A quick reminder: all players need to have participated in at least four regular-season games to be eligible for the tournament. Make sure you hit the field this season and get ready for some exciting action. Good luck to all, and let’s make this year unforgettable!

The 2025 DAMSL adult schedules are officially live! Players and teams can now access their full season lineup by visiting the Schedules tab on the website. For added convenience, you can click on your team name wherever it appears—such as the Standings page—to instantly view your complete schedule. Get ready for another fantastic season of friendly competition and fellowship on the field. Best of luck to all teams, and enjoy the season!

In an effort to enhance the game experience for players and fans alike, the DAMSL is thrilled to announce a major update to all league softball fields. By the start of the 2026 season, every field in the league will be required to install a pitch clock. This progressive move is aimed at optimizing game flow and maintaining a high level of excitement and engagement in all games.

Pitch clocks are designed to keep the pace of play consistent, reducing downtime and ensuring the game maintains its rhythm. With the addition of these clocks, the DAMSL is setting a strong precedent for church softball leagues across the country to prioritize not just the skill and strategy of the sport, but also its entertainment value.

To make this vision a reality, the DAMSL has secured a partnership with Techtronic Signs, a leader in innovative field technology. Techtronic Signs will be responsible for installing pitch clocks across all league fields at an approximate cost of $14,200 per field. For fields without existing electrical infrastructure, additional costs may be incurred to facilitate the installations.

We understand that these installations might present a financial burden for some teams in the league. To help ease this concern, Techtronic Signs is offering a financing option that will allow team coaches to finance the installation costs over a period of up to 5 years. This flexibility is designed to ensure that every field is equipped with the new technology without putting undue strain on team resources.

This initiative represents a significant step forward for the DAMSL, reinforcing our dedication to improving the player and spectator experience. Stay tuned as we share updates on the progress of this project, including installation timelines and the final unveiling at the start of the 2026 season.

We can’t wait to see how this new feature will revolutionize the game and contribute to an unforgettable era for DAMSL softball. Let’s play ball—with a fresh beat!

And for those still processing this announcement—relax! It’s just an April Fool’s joke! No pitch clocks required…for now. 😉

Congratulations to the following sixteen players who were named to the 2024 DAMSL Youth All Tourney team! The players were voted onto the team by their teammates and coaches.

Allie Troolin	First Baptist
Dalton Brown	First Baptist
Alex Lind	First Baptist
Trey Gustafson	First Baptist
Silas Goldsmith	New Hope
Avery VanAnda	New Hope
Thomas Klimek	New Hope
Luke Wicklund	Dale
Jonah Baker	Dale
Gavin Estenson	North Isanti Blue
Landon Pepper	North Isanti Blue
Sully Brace	Cross Pointe 1
Mikayla Carlson	Cross Pointe 1
Jack Boch	Cambridge Lutheran
Carter Dybvig	Cross Pointe 2
Laney Grant	North Isanti Red

Additionally, North Isanti Blue received the Christian Character Award in recognition for how they treated each other, their opponents, and the umpires. Congratulations again to all award winners on a job well done! A breakdown of the award winners can be heard at the 27:40 mark of the podcast:

Second seed New Hope Cambridge 1 went undefeated in the tourney to become back-to-back D1 champions. After winning 10 straight games during the regular season en route to the top seed, Refuge 1 took every team’s best shot during the tourney. They fought hard in the tourney and had two amazing come-from behind wins and finished 2nd. Fifth seed Karmel was involved in 3 of the best games of the tourney en route to a 3rd place finish. A full recap of the D1 tourney can be heard at the 44:40 mark of the podcast:

1st Place: New Hope Cambridge 1

2nd Place: Refuge 1

3rd Place: Karmel

Third seed First Baptist Church of Cambridge avenged their only loss of the tourney and double-dipped second seed New Hope Cambridge 2 on two win the championship. These were hard fought games with both going into extra innings. Fourth seed Refuge 2 had a very nice run in the tourney to win 3rd place. A full recap of the D2 tourney can be found at the 1:02:00 minute mark of the podcast:

1st Place: First Baptist Church of Cambridge

2nd Place: New Hope Cambridge 2

3rd Place: Refuge 2

Fifth seed Linwood Covenant went undefeated in the tourney to win the D3 championship. Their run included wins over the top two seeds and culimnated with a come from behind walk-off win in the championship game. Seventh seed New Hope Isanti lost their opening game on Friday night, then rattled off 5 straight wins on Saturday to propel them to a 2nd place finish. Second seed River of Life completed a successful season with a 3rd place finish in the tourney. A full recap of the D3 tourney can be heard at the 1:26:55 mark of the podcast:

1st Place: Linwood Covenant

2nd Place: New Hope Isanti

3rd Place: River of Life

The Dalbo Area Ministerial Softball League is proud to announce the establishment of the DAMSL Hall of Fame as well as its inaugural class. The committee met for the first time on July 17th at Karmel Covenant Church and will meet yearly going forward. The Hall of Fame Committee consists of 5 members who all played in the DAMSL in the 1970’s or earlier:
Rick Evenson (Cross Pointe)
Craig Quale (Salem Lutheran)
Lee Olson (Karmel Covenant)
Dallas Tvedt (Lewis Lake Covenant)
Lee Scheumann (Oxlip Evangelical Free)

The qualifications for the initial class were individuals who helped shape the league, that demonstrated tremendous Christian character, and stood out with their excellent play on the field. There were 15 players nominated and through discussion and the voting process, the inaugural class was selected. The first 3 members of the Hall of Fame are:
Gary Melin (Karmel Covenant)
Bob DeYoung (Lewis Lake Covenant)
Denny Kresal (Oxlip Evangelical Free)

2024 HOF Inductees