This week the 2018 Women’s League was out at Darra, the home of the Western Bulldogs Baseball Club, to play in 2 very fun filled games of baseball! All four teams showed excellent endurance in the scorching 35C heat and played with increased confidence and aggression.

Game One commenced at 2pm with Western Bulldogs going up against Padres White in a 3-inning game. Padres White came away with the win this week, 14-7 after they showed dominance with their exceptional base running and batting abilities. Starting pitcher for Wests, Gina Fuller threw a complete game with 5 strikeouts and 1 walk. Padres White had a number of players get their first hit of the competition, well done! The game was unfortunately cut short after an injury that halted the game’s progression, however both teams showed friendly sportsmanship throughout the break and finished in high spirits.

Long-term West’s player, Gina Fuller says the new league is a fantastic way to fit more baseball into her schedule, “It’s so lovely playing with women, I play Masters in the men’s competition as well but this league is really special. There is a lot of camaraderie, we have a lot of fun because we don’t take it to seriously and the more baseball I get to play the better!”

Padres White player, Alexandra Dunsdon comments on the friendly nature of the league, “The league is really fun and encouraging. I’m really proud to be able to show my daughters that playing baseball isn’t just for their dad; women and girls can play too and I think they are one of the biggest reasons I signed on. I underestimated how much was involved in the game so I’ve been really amazed at how much we are fitting in and learning in each training session. Everyone has the best time out on the field, it’s a lot of fun.”

The second game of the day saw Padres Red go up against Southern Stars, who came away with the win 11-7.  Both team’s bats were firing with a total of 15 hits over the 3 innings of play. Standout performances from Maddy Tough from Padres Red who went 2 for 2 with 3 RBI’s and one double & Karen Gallpen from Southern Stars who pitched a complete game facing 21 hitters, coming away 0 walks.

Jo Crotty, Padres Red player and beloved member of Redcliffe Padres comments on her team’s spirit being out of this world, “Our women’s baseball league just continues to get more exciting each time we step out on the field. It’s so much fun and encouraging watching our team mates for the first time pitch, catch a fly ball, throw an out on base, catch an out on base but especially hitting a ball and making it on base. I love this game! I love watching my kid’s play but now, especially love having my own teammates.”

Baseball Queensland’s Women’s and Girl’s Participation Director, Geoff Wade reveals his plans for the league, “ I think we will see female participation increase next season. Most clubs are already talking to me about what we can do to increase player numbers. I will be working with my participation group and the GBL to help strengthen and develop the Women’s League.”

Thank you to Western Districts Bulldogs for hosting Round 3; you put on a great afternoon of baseball that we all enjoyed immensely!

Join us at Redcliffe Padres Baseball Club this Saturday 10th November for Round 4! We have Padres White going up against Southern Stars at 3pm and Padres Red against Wests at 5pm. With live commentary from David Hopkins and music to set the mood, this round is sure to be a cracker!

*Please email me at [email protected] if you have any photos form the games to share online*

The GBL Women’s League was full steam ahead this Saturday at Southern Stars Baseball Club for an exciting afternoon of games!

Southern Stars hosted the 2 games and provided us all with a fantastic atmosphere filled with great music, post game snacks and plenty of spirited support!

Starting the afternoon off was a fast paced, competitive game against Wests and Southern Stars. Wests took the win 15-2 after 3 innings. Stand out performance from Southern Stars Head Coach, Karen Gallpen who threw a complete game and a scoreless first inning going on to play Masters the next day throwing 44 pitches over 3.5 innings, again with a scoreless first.

Head Coach, Karen Gallpen commented on the new league saying, “The new GBL Women’s League is the best comp I have played in yet. The atmosphere is friendly, a great initiative with the GBL management committee getting a big pat on the back for the quick administration of the games. This inaugural competition needs to be followed up with support to other clubs to grow and advertise to increase the participation of women in this competition. I would love to see more girls involved in this and the current members who are wives, girlfriends, friends, players and new players. I believe this would remain a great competition into the future with the inclusion of the Women’s State Titles.”

The second game was a sea of red with the two teams from Redcliffe Padres battling it out in a hilarious 3-inning fiasco where Padres Red came away with the win 16-10. Special mention to Kate Oppatt, Sally West, Liv Wilson, Imogen Orphin, Chloe White and Samara Emmett who all pitched their first game on the weekend. Well done to both teams who managed to play in the harsh sun, very impressive!

Congratulations to all four teams; the level of play has improved significantly since Round One but is trumped only by the laughter and high spirits during the games. Each team continues to play with fierce competitiveness and huge smiles, while capturing the essence of baseball in every inning.

Thank you to Southern Stars for hosting Round Two!

Western Districts Bulldogs are set to host Round Three, next Saturday 3rd November. The first game starts at 2pm against Wests and Padres White, followed by Southern Stars and Padres Red at 4pm. Remember, if you’re available to come cheer on the women’s teams we’d love to see you out supporting the newest league in the GBL!

If you have pictures from any of the rounds played, please email them to me at [email protected] so I can feature them in our weekly recap articles!

Saturday 20th October marked the first game of the inaugural Women’s League for 2018. Four teams from across Queensland have entered into an 8-week competition to play some friendly, yet spirited baseball.

Western District Bulldogs Baseball Club, Southern Stars Baseball Club, and Redcliffe Padres Baseball Club have each put teams forward; with a huge turn out from Padres, resulting in two teams from that club.

Each Saturday, the teams play 1.5hr double headers at the one location starting mid afternoon.

The first game of the double header on Saturday 20th October saw Padres Red go head to head with Wests in a tight game resulting in the two teams drawing 10-10 after 3 innings. With outstanding teamwork and spirit from both teams, this was an entertaining game for the books.

Special mention to the West family who have made the 2018 women’s season a full family affair. Sally West, along with her two daughters, Kate and Amy are all sporting red uniforms for their beloved team, Padres.

Kate West comments on the season being one for the ages, “I would say that I’m incredibly excited about playing with Mum. She is so well known in the baseball community and a perfect example of the target market for this initiative. Baseball mums, sisters, partners, volunteers, fans who know baseball like the back of their hand but have never had a real opportunity to get involved in a social, non-competitive environment. From my perspective, the growth of women’s baseball starts with recruitment for the love of the game. My family are used to playing in a team together (all bar Mum have played in Divisions 4-6 collectively several times over the last four years) and have had varying degrees of success in maintaining familial ties [laughs] but I am very keen to see Mum out of the scorers box and onto the field!”

The final game of the double-header saw the second Padres team (White) take on Southern Stars in a fantastic action packed game. Southern Stars took the win 15-2 after 4 innings of fierce play!

The spirit of the game is captured perfectly in this league of friendly and highly entertaining baseball; with music blaring, all teams playing hard and plenty of laughs, do yourself a favour and get out to your nearest club to watch these games and support women in baseball!

Head to the GBL Fixtures page on the website to view when each team is playing!

*Photos by Rodney Reed, Southern Stars and Wests*