The past couple days, if it was 7 o’clock, it was time for the East Valley Pride to play softball. The Pride and 61 other 16u teams will take the strange hours, however, to avoid the desert heat as they take a crack at an ASA national championship.

The Pride, for instance, won this morning at 7, after winning last night at 7 and yesterday morning at 7. They’re scheduled to play tonight at 11.

Phoenix ASA is to be commended for the schedule of its 16u Western A Nationals, even if it means some quick turnarounds. For instance, no matter the outcome in tonight’s winners’ bracket third-round game, the Pride will trek back to Rose Mofford from the East Valley to play tomorrow morning at 9.

There are no mid-day games in the weeklong tournament. Game times are 7, 9 and 11 a.m. and 7, 9 and 11 p.m.

Knowing softball tournaments the way I do, I’ll bet the 11 p.m. start times are closer to 11:30. And the Pride coaches are quick to point out that their 7 a.m. games meant they were on the freeway before sun-up.

But not one voiced a preference for playing at 1 or 3 in the afternoon.

And Wednesday’s first night of bracket play was incredibly comfortable. The breeze helped. No sun helped more.

I guess it’s possible some of the home-field advantage wears off it you have to travel further from your house than the out-of-town teams do from their hotels, but Arizona teams are none the worse for wear so far. Only a few are out of the tournament, with the Pride, Hotshots-Creed, Team Velocity from Tucson and the Thunderhawks among the final 16 unbeatens.

Unfortunately, there was a winners’ bracket meeting this morning between Pride and Scorpio, two of the better local clubs in the huge field. Pride prevailed 2-1 to earn that 11 p.m. spot. And Pride faces Velocity in that one.

Still, it is much preferable to a losers’ bracket spot. And if the weather was nice at 7, it should be even better at 11.