ARLINGTON — As rain pounded the field at Twin Rivers Park on Saturday, June 30, some began to wonder if the North Counties Christian Sports Fellowship League All-Star Game would carry on — but carry on it did.

Despite the soggy conditions, dozens of softball players came out to represent their teams in the fifth-annual All-Star Game and skills competition, which included a home run derby, running competition and throwing competition.

“There are 20 teams in the league, so for the All-Star game we just split them into 10 and 10 for West versus East,” said William Frankhouser, game official. “Each team in the league chooses two players to represent them in the All-Stars, one male and one female.”

The NCCSFL consists of teams from individual churches in the area. “We used to be called GACSFL for ‘Greater Arlington Church Sports Fellowship League’ but now we have teams from Stanwood, Marysville and Lake Stevens,” said Frankhouser.

The sports league organizers are hoping to incorporate more than just softball in their competition, and polled their participants for their thoughts. “People liked basketball, volleyball and dodge ball,” said Frankhouser.

Eliza Malmberg, of the Smokey Point Community C team, loves being involved in the NCCSFL.

“This is my fifth year playing,” she said. “I’ve been to the All-Star Game two times. I love how much fun it is, our team is really a hoot. We’re the silliest team here. But I also love the competition.”

Malmberg took first place in the women’s running competition with a final time of 14.76. She was also first in the women’s throwing competition. The men’s throwing competition winner was Howie Phillips, of the East All-Stars, who was also the winner of the men’s home run derby. The women’s home run derby winner was Courtney Perrine. Alex Olin placed first in the men’s speed competition, with a record-breaking 11.36 final time, although his prelim time was 11.08. Due to the heavy rain between prelims and finals, most competitors’ scores were slightly better during prelims.

The All-Star Game began shortly after 1 p.m. when it was hats-off for Diedre Smith’s national anthem performance and Arlington City Council member Ken Klein’s throwing of the first pitch. The East All-Stars won the coin-toss and opted to play the home team, which meant that game official and West All-Stars’ Eric Mitzelfeldt was first to bat, hitting a single to start off a bases-loaded top of the first that ended in two runs scored for the West All-Stars Team — a team that had never before won an All-Stars game. The strong beginning was followed up with more scores in the top of the second inning when Frankhouser hit his first of two home runs of the game, but the East All-Stars battled back to score in the bottom of the second. The West All-Stars went into the third inning with a one-point lead but left with an eight-point lead after scoring seven runs and shutting out the East batters. The West led every inning in runs-scored except for the fifth, when the East All-Stars managed to score six runs to bring the score up to 15-9. The West maintained their lead until the end of the ninth when the game ended in a 25-13 victory for the West All-Star team.

“This league is a great way to build fellowship with other churches and other community members,” said Frankhouser. “We get to come together and rally around the community.”

The All-Star Game hosted an information table with pamphlets, cards and flyers from local businesses in Arlington. “We really like to help out our local businesses and we also really want to thank the locals who helped sponsor us today,” said Frankhouser.

The game was sponsored by Rainier Auto Glass and Xtreme Services LLC. For information on the NCCSFL, visit their website at www.NCCSFL.org.