June 7, 1943

Rockford Register-Republic

Rockford Peaches to Meet South Bend in Twin Bill Tonight

Kenosha Club Here Tuesday

Rockford Girls Ready To Offer New Bid for Leadership of League

By Dick Day
(Register-Republic Sports Editor)

Rockford's Peaches who made their bow to softball fans here Saturday night and then bowed to the weatherman Sunday, will set out tonight in a new pursuit of the first place banner in the new All-American Girls Professional Softball league.

The lead vanished from their reach over the week-end, partially as the result of a 5-2 setback at the hands of South Bend, but the Peaches have a double-header on tap with those Blue Sox from the Indiana city tonight at the 15th avenue stadium, and a twin killing would go a long way towards remedying the situation.

The Rockford and South Bend teams had a double bill scheduled for Sunday, but the condition of the grounds made it impossible to play even after the rain stopped. Consequently, the two teams agreed on a double-header for tonight to wind up the series. The first game will start at 7 p.m.

Tomorrow Josh Billings and his Kenosha Comets will be in town and will play a night game.

Little, Cook to Pitch

Eddie Stumpf, the Rockford manager, announced today that he will start Olive Little and Clara Cook on the mound in tonight's games. Both won their last appearances at Kenosha. Little, a right-hander has a good fast ball. Cook is a southpaw.

South Bend probably will use Sunny Berger in one of the games. Sunny is the girl who broke up a promising Rockford rally Saturday night with a double-play ball when the Peaches had the bases loaded.

Customers who braved the weather for a glimpse of the girls in the opener Saturday got an excellent idea of the class of ball that is being played in this new league. The girls are fast and though they'll need a few more games in which to polish up their defense, lack little in the way of offensive ability right now.

Speed Intrigues Fans

Despite the lengthening of the base paths five feet beyond the usual softball limit, speed still remains a major feature of this game and the customers were intrigued by it.

The Blue Sox bunched their hits in two innings to ring up their victory over the Peaches Saturday, taking the lead on two runs in the sixth and never being headed thereafter.

Muriel Coben started on the mound for South Bend and tied up in a pitching duel for five innings with Marjorie Peters of Rockford. In the eighth, however, the South Bend girl weakened and had the bases loaded when Sunny Berger was rushed to the rescue. One run had scored and Rockford had only one out when the relief hurler pitched her double-play ball to break up the rally.

Games scheduled for Kenosha between the home team and Racine were rained out yesterday, but in Saturday's game Kenosha improved its standing in the league with a 5-3 decision over the Racine Belles.