In her hometown of Mata Bonita near the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, 64-year-old Crecencia Sánchez, known by most people as Miriam, has a couple of nicknames: la mamá del sóftbol. The mother of softball. La abuela pelotera -- the ballplaying grandma.

How did she earn those monikers? Well, see for yourself:

Sánchez can, in a word, rake, and she has been doing so since her early 20s, when she started dropping by the local field in Mata Bonita, picking up a bat and joining men’s teams that were playing.

“If I had been a man, maybe I’d be at a different level,” Sánchez said in Spanish via WhatsApp from the Dominican Republic.

These days, Sánchez, who has four kids, 12 grandchildren and a great-grandchild, belongs to a local women’s team called the Divas of Mata Bonita. They play against other all-women squads in the vicinity on Saturdays. Though they don’t always have the right equipment, Sánchez likens the intensity of those games to the rivalry between the Aguilas Cibaeñas and Tigres del Licey of the Dominican Winter League -- the Caribbean country’s version of Yankees-Red Sox.

Sánchez, who has played primarily first base -- “I make some catches at first" -- said she thrives in high-pressure situations.

“I love finding the bases loaded and getting my big hit," she said.

As far as inspiration goes, Sánchez is a longtime fan of former big league slugger Sammy Sosa. “I used to love to watch him hit,” she said.

In addition to the clips of her hitting and fielding prowess that have circulated on social media, Sánchez gained attention in the Dominican Republic in October 2021, when she appeared on the local television program El Show del Mediodia during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Sánchez is a survivor of the disease. Soon after her television appearance, the Dominican Republic's Ministry of Housing and Buildings awarded Sánchez a new home in Mata Bonita to replace her former dwelling, which had fallen into disrepair.

Sánchez’s breast cancer diagnosis in 2015 forced her to retire from sports, though it turned out to be more of a hiatus. Today, she is back on the field, doing what she loves best: hitting line drives and holding down first base.

“Since I enjoy it, I missed it,” Sánchez said. “I like playing too much.”