the pitchers have to fit a certain box with their pitches, even in baseball, the strike zone is not truly set in stone. Some umpires call the black of the plate, others don't. I believe the pitchers in softball have too much restriction on throwing in the zone to receive strikes. Example: Our Emma Mazzarone throws a wicked cure ball that breaks across the plate, but doesn't always get the strike call. Some of the softball umpires think it is where the pitch comes to its final destination, but it is where the ball enters the plate itself, and she throws many strikes that if called properly, would result in strikes. I saw her frustration in the Pitt series, the FSU series and in the regionals. The things softball pitchers can do when they are pitching is much more advanced than in the past, unless we are talking about Debby Dews, or Lisa Fernandez.