The GBL Women’s League played in their fourth round of completion on Saturday afternoon. All four teams played at Redcliffe Padres in what was a fantastic and entertaining afternoon of baseball!

Game One saw Padres White take on Southern Stars in a solid game where Stars took the win 20-8. While Padres recorded the loss they did outhit Stars 13-10, however their pitching was lacking which consequently allowed Southern Stars to wrack up some runs. Both teams had a number of first hits as well as fantastic outs made in the field. Special mention to Amy West from Padres White who hit an inside the park homerun!

The second game of the day was between Padres Red and Wests; Padres Red took the win 13-9 in a fiercely played game. Both teams managed to show aggression at the plate with outstanding at bats from the Padres Red side. Fantastic pitching from both Padres and Wests who showed that accuracy is everything.

As we hit the middle of the regular season, all involved in the league comment frequently on the incredible opportunity this league is bringing to their baseball ‘careers’. It is very evident that the league is appealing to players of all levels, with State athletes in the same team as proud mothers aiming to put their years of spectator experience to good use; there really is no better way to engage and grow the sport of female baseball.

Heading into Round 5, Southern Stars currently sit on top of the ladder, followed by Padres Red, Westerns Bulldogs and lastly, Padres White. With Round 5 being held at Southern Stars Baseball Club on Saturday it will be an important round to get some extra wins for the teams lower on the ladder.

If you can get out to Southern Stars on Saturday 17th November at 2pm to support the Wests and Padres White ladies and 4pm for the Southern Stars and Padres Red teams, then please do to help our new league grow and develop!

Big thank you to everyone involved from players, coaches, umpires, scores and families- you are all superstars and make this competition exactly how it should be: fun!

Photos by: Rodney Reed. Thank you for taking such fantastic pictures of the teams on Saturday!

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 liv@baseballqueensland.com.au 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 liv@baseballqueensland.com.au so I can feature them in our weekly recap articles!