SILVER SPRING, MD—Timely hitting, a competitive spirit and even a quirky mascot were the keys to victory for the employee softball team of Riderwood retirement community. The squad captured its second consecutive Erickson Living Softball Tournament championship on Saturday, August 3rd at Rockburn Branch Park in Elkridge, Maryland.
The tournament consisted of teams from five Erickson Living communities throughout the mid-Atlantic (Riderwood, Ann’s Choice from Warminster, PA, Charlestown from Catonsville, MD, Oak Crest from Parkville, MD and Greenspring from Springfield, VA).
Battling windy, wet conditions, Team Riderwood advanced through the round robin format to the championship game against Charlestown. A dramatic 8-7 walk-off win in the final inning highlighted a hard-fought game.
“I am very proud of our players,” stated Jason Longwell, Director of Sales, who served as the head coach for Team Riderwood. “We had an enthusiastic attitude and played fundamental softball. We were even motivated by our ‘Fear the Penguin’ mantra, inspired by our lucky mascot.”
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“Most importantly, the tournament served as a terrific opportunity to catch-up with our friends from across the region. All of the teams practiced hard to prepare for the competition, and no matter how it turned out, a fun summertime tradition lived on,” described Coach Longwell.
The employees of Riderwood followed in the championship footsteps of the residents of the Silver Spring-based retirement community. The resident team emerged victorious in the Erickson Living Softball Tournament for residents held in Laurel on June 5th.
