By Fred Jeter
Contributing Writer

Come to find out, the most feared arm in the Powhatan men’s church softball league may be owned by a lady.

Catcher Dottie Britton is armed and dangerous behind the plate for Hobson Chapel – defending champions of the modified fast-pitch league at Aces Field. League director Joe Parker refers to Britton as the “only competitive woman in the league.”

Quickly, he adds: “Dottie’s one of the best – if not the best catcher out there … I know this: she’s thrown me out at first, second and third; there’s a lot of snap in her wrist.”

Listing her height at “5-foot-3 and one-quarter,” Britton is diminutive in statue, but huge in impact.

“Dottie just dares you to run on her,” says Hobson manager Darryl Stewart. “She’s very intimidating …guys don’t like being thrown out stealing … especially by a girl.”

Modified softball is much like fast-pitch, with bunting, stealing and taking leads off bases.

One of Britton’s better memories involves a play in the annual Robbie Green Memorial Tournament last summer.

“I picked a guy off taking his lead at second,” recalled Britton. “He was so mad.”

Britton’s reputation is mostly with the mitt.

“I’m not that good a hitter; mostly I’m a bunter, but sometimes I get lucky,” she said of her bat attack.

The 24-year-old daughter of Rick Britton and Jamie White is a familiar figure around Powhatan diamonds.

She was an All-State catcher for Powhatan High (Class of ’03) and was the freshman starter on the Indians’ ’00 Group AA championship squad.
    
Britton, who also played for the nationally-prominent Richmond Storm travel squad, went on to be a four-year starter at NCAA Division I Coastal Carolina.

Now she resides in Moseley with mini husky Maya (often seen snoozing under Aces Field bleachers), and serves as a veterinarian tech at Banfield: The Pet Hospital, in Midlothian.

“I’d play softball every night if I could, but I’m working a lot of 12-hour days,” she says.

This is Britton’s third year in the modified league. She got one cleat in the door a while back when she was dating Hobson player John Trivette (an aspiring golf pro now living in Myrtle Beach).

“They let me in one night and I didn’t do too bad,” she recalled.

On game nights, Britton tucks her hair inside her masked helmet, puts on her game face, and goes to work.

“She’s a serious player,” says Parker. “Dottie’s always sliding, making a mess.”

Jokingly, Britton suggests she is known for something other than her lively right arm.

“The guys always kid me about my tight pants,” she says with a laugh.

Officially, Jennifer Britton became “Dottie” after watching the 1992 movie, A League of Their own, about a professional women’s baseball team.

A star was flamboyant catcher Dottie Hinson, played by actress Geena Davis.

“In the movie, Dottie did the splits making a catch and I just loved that,” said Britton. “And one time I did it myself, I did the splits and caught a popup … it was in a practice game but I still did it.”

Britton has only dabbled in the more popular slow-pitch softball.

“In slow pitch, the catcher could eat a cheeseburger back there and it wouldn’t make any difference,” she said. “And catcher is the only position I’ve ever played.”
All the crouching behind the plate hasn’t agreed with Britton’s joints.

“My doctor says I have the knees of a 40-year-old,” she says.

Then, regarding her future, she adds: “But I’m going to die on the field.”