When a ballplayer's athletic eligibility expires, his athletic career doesn't have to expire with it.

There's always softball.

And there's still championships.

Numerous former Butler County baseball and basketball players have been donning a uniform for their respective teams in Modified pitch leagues.

Josh Uncapher is a Knoch graduate and former Knights baseball player. He has been playing Modified softball for 13 years.

He plays for and runs Team Scotti of the Culmerville Modified Softball League, a five-team circuit formerly known as the Fieldhouse/Pike League. That league played at Pike Field off Rte. 356 from 1984 through 2006 before moving to Culmerville.

Uncapher's team recently won a Class C state tournament in Sharon.

“Most of our team is comprised of Knoch graduates, including some who played on their state championship baseball team a few years ago,” he said.

The Culmerville league plays at the Culmerville Sportsman Club field in West Deer Township. The league has won 13 state tiles in various classifications through the years.

Team Scotti went 7-1 in the regular season and won all four of its state tournament games.

“This is the first time a team in our league has won that state tournament since 2007,” Uncapher said. “The father (Tom Eurich) of one of our players (Hyte Eurich) played on that 2007 team.”

Hyte has been playing for Team Scotti for three years. Six of his former Knoch teammates — Chase Voltz, Spencer Voltz, Hunter Balliet, Matt Cornetti, Gavin Miller and Caleb Thorn — are also on the squad.

Other Knoch grads on the team are Luke Kroneberg, Taylor Sharer and Kevin Bacon and Zane Voltz. Butler graduate Zach Kennedy and Highlands grad John Vause are also on the team.

Team Scotti outscored its opponents 42-17 in the state tournament.

“I have three cousins on the team, so I just joined in,” Eurich said. “I fell in love with it. It's the closest thing to baseball that there is.

“This is not a league where you just drink beer and hang out. I can do that at home. This is competitive, serious ball.”

Matt Walker, a Freeport graduate, is president of the Culmerville league and has been playing in it since 2003.

“We've had an influx of younger players come in over the past couple of years and the league's average age has changed significantly,” Walker said. “The game has changed with it.

“The league used to have a lot of bunting, hit and run, old-school type ball. Now it's more power, speed and pitchers throwing harder. It's interesting how it's changed.”

County Line — which Team Scotti played in the championship game — is a member of the Chicora Area Softball League. Karns City boys basketball coach Chris Bellis is treasurer of that league.

Bellis plays and runs Team Green in the Chicora circuit. That league is down to four teams this season and Team Green finished first in the regular season with a 12-6 record.

“We started off 0-4,” Bellis said. “We have a bunch of first-year players on our team. A lot of former basketball players I coached at Karns City are on the team now.”

Modified pitch means the pitcher can throw the ball as hard as he wants without using any type of windmill motion.

Runners can steal bases as they're permitted to take off once the ball leaves the pitcher's hands.

“You don't have to have played baseball to be effective,” Bellis said. “Athletic ability in general translates well to softball.”

Fenelton resident Kevin Anthony is president of the Chicora league, which has players as young as 18 and as old as their early 50's on the field.

“Chris has been a part of two or three state championship teams out of our league and (Karns City baseball coach Josh) 'Sluggo' Smith has had teams win three or four state titles,” Anthony said.

“A lot of guys from Butler County play in both leagues. Everyone is very familiar with each other.”

While Modified softball may be dwindling in other areas, Bellis believes the sport is very healthy in Butler County.

“Between these two leagues, a lot of guys from our county are playing,” he said. “I think it's becoming more popular again.”

Walker agreed.

“A lot of kids who grew up watching their dads play softball are now in this league themselves,” he said. “The biggest thing against us is image. You hear the word softball and people think beer league and home run derby. These leagues are the complete opposite of that.

“Guys are ending college baseball careers and coming right into Modified softball.”

Eurich's father was a spectator during Team Scotti's state title run.

“That was fun, having him there,” Hyte said. “He got to relive his glory days a little bit, too.”