KAT's wiffle ball tournament benefits ALS foundation

Although the cloudy, cold weather put a damper on the number of teams that played in Kappa Alpha Theta's first "KAT at BAT" wiffle ball tournament, team, "It's Jolmi Time" defeated team, "Swag Kings" in the final match to win the tournament.

The winning team, composed of juniors Xander Skoulis, Elliot Pfautz, Casey Glick, Dylan Dextraze and Michael Alas, won the last match, 6-1.

This was the first wiffle ball tournament that Theta had hosted.

"I love wiffle ball, and we were so excited to finally have this event," Kaitlyn Walsh, the president of the sorority, said.

Wiffle ball is derived from baseball and softball but played on smaller pitches with balls and bats made of plastic, Walsh said.

They had been planning the event since October, Nicole Olshan a junior and member of the sorority, said. Sixteen teams signed up for the event for a price of $25 per team, but only eight played in the tournament, she said. Of the eight teams that played, six were associated with fraternities on campus.

"Unfortunately, the rainy weather worked against us, but those who are playing are doing it for a great cause," Olshan said.

Walsh said, "All the proceeds for this event will be donated to the ALS Foundation."

ALS or Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a motor neurone disease that causes the body to shut down little by little, said Caroline Moles, a junior and member of Kappa Alpha Theta.

As a chapter, the sorority decided to donate the proceeds of this event to a cause that is "close to a sister's heart," junior Laura Allen said.

The tournament was being held on behalf of Moles's mother who has been suffering with the disease for approximately four years.

"We wanted to show our support to Caroline and her family in this difficult time," Allen said.

Moles said: "I was so excited to hear that the proceeds would be donated to the foundation. I can't thank the players enough."

Each team consisted of five players, and each game lasted 20 minutes or until one of the teams reached seven points, according to the rulebook used to referee games.

The Swag Kings managed to make it to the final round of the tournament despite seeming befuddled throughout the game. By the last two minutes of the game, the team had missed the majority of its swings at the ball, and the majority of its pitches were not counted because they were out of bounds. It's Jolmi Time walked away from the game KAT at BAT champions.

Contact staff writer Nabila Khouri at nabila.khouri@richmond.edu