The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-07-03
WOMEN PLAY BALL.
Have Exciting Game at Wanego to
Buy Seats for City Park

Wamego, Kan, July Nine mar
ried ladies and nine single girls played
a matched game of baseball here Sat
urday evening. They commenced to
were played before darkness forced a
cessation of hostilities The game was
advertised as a contest between mar
ried ladies and bloomer girls. 1t is
estimated that 500 people witnessed
the contest which was genuine ball
game. The only feature of the usual
game that was lacking was that there
was no attempt to ''slidc home" the
ladies refusing to try this stunt; but
they stole bases enough to make up
for this defect and threw the bat when
they made a hit until it was danger
GUS to stay in that part of the park.
The married ladies were supposed to
wear skirts and the blooma~ girls ex-
pected to have a considerable advan-
tage in the more handy costume. In
this they were fooled. as but three
players appeared in skirts and petit
coats. The rest were attited in bloom
ers of cut and colors most becoming
to the wearers. The costumes were
just as natty as the players were nifty
in handling the bat, glove end ball.
Headed by the Wamego band, the
ladies marched to the ball park and
devoted half an hour to warming up
in true national game style. The mar
runs before three were declared out.
In every instance the base runner
stole second and third base. Three
clean base hits were made and but
one struck out the other two were
tagged" out by being touched in try
ing to steal home. The bloomer girls
only made three in their half, and in
regulation style began to blame the
umpire. The force of habit was plain
~ evidenced when in several instances
instead of trying to catch the ball the
base lady would grab each side of her
boomers to widen her stoL page capac-
ity, and the ball would glide through
where the skirt would naturally be.
A good deal of time was lost by brush
ing off the dirt that would cling to the
pretty suits when q player would drop
close to earth to get a grounder. The
captain of the bloomer girls had
rally cry of, Never mind ~ your hair
does come DOWN. It was effective
and helped to cheer up the girls.
The bases were moved in five feet all
round, and the distance between pitch
er and home plate considerably lessen
Mrs. F. M. Brown had an average CT
over 700 per cent, each made several
hits that cleared the diamond. Miss
Axtell was a fine coach and brought
in four runs by cheering and guiding
the more conservative players around
the diamond. She was sure of getting
a base if she could induce an inf1elder
to throw the ball, as the base lady
would invariably muff the throw.
The first umpire quit in the second
inning and a new man was secured who
decided points on the actual location
of the bases instead of where the bases
should be. The scorer announces that
the tally shows 10 to IL in favor of
the Bloomer Girls, the box score he
hopes to have ready in time for the
weekly paper next Friday. The lineup
Of the teams is as follows, aud each
lady played through the game, from
the play BALI call until the finish.
Bloomer Girls-Miss Beulah Axtell,
pitcher; Miss Della Herne. catcher
Miss Julia Hill, first base; Miss Ella
PIesse. second base; Miss Ivy Williams,
third base; Miss Leah GoIaday. sh2rt-
stop; Miss Ethel Machin, right field;
Miss Genevieve Rogers, left field: Miss
Lula Nelun, center field.
Married Ladies-Mrs. F. NJ. Brown,
pitcher; Mrs. e. Sessler. catcher Mrs.
c. Johnson, first base; Mrs. E. Robin
son, second base: Mrs. c. Stettzner,
third base; Mrs. G. A. Hughes. short
stop; Mrs. NJ. Breymeyer, right field;