first softball game ever!

Well, spring is here! And in the spirit of getting outdoors and enjoying the weather I signed up for the Berkeley Adult co-ed softball league with Neil and a team from church. We had our first game last night and I am on a steep learning curve since this is my first time playing...ever! Yep, I've been in the States over three years but have refused to learn anything about the game, hoping that I'd find some cricket around here but with no luck all this time I finally caved and here I am. (The ironic thing is that there were four cricket players on our opposing team last night, who invited me to join them for a game today in Berkeley!)
In any case, as I said I am going through a steep learning curve with this softball business. For instance, apparently you actually have to run. I guess I should have read the small print. Needless to say I woke up with all kinds of achy muscles this morning. Secondly, you actually have to touch the bases when you run. There I was, I had hit the ball (yes, I actually connected that skinny little thing they call a bat with the ball!) and off I went. Neil had just explained to me that the first base has a special rule where you can just run straight and curve off to the right. So I did. He forgot to mention the part where you're supposed to step on the base as you go.
Finally, apparently a home run is when you run all the way from start to finish in one go. I was so proud of myself that I had my first home run, and then someone told me it was just a run. What's up with that? I got all the way home didn't I?
I guess I have some studying to do!