Malvern and Ormond Glenhuntly hit the field for a special Women's Derby Round on Wednesday 8 December 2021 in support of Respect Victoria's Respect Women: Call It Out Campaign and the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence from 25 November - 10 December.
The two clubs were excited to get involved and moved their scheduled round 6 game up to Wednesday night to bring the local baseball community together to celebrate their newly re-established women’s programs and their dedication to an inclusive sporting environment for all.
Both VSBL Women’s Division 3 North East teams showed their support by wearing orange accessories and filling out the “to me, respect is…” cards from Respect Victoria’s toolkit, highlighting how grassroots baseball can influence gender equality and respectful relationships.
It was great for the clubs to come together for this special event, as just two months ago they were hoping to round up enough women for a single joint side. Now there are 28 women and girls registered to play at Malvern and Ormond Glenhuntly, and 25 of them are playing baseball for the first time.
The big night of women's baseball saw Malvern earn a 16-5 victory over Malvern Ormond Glenhuntly with winning pitcher Lauren Romanin stealing the show, hitting an inside-the-park home run and throwing two innings with no hits or runs.
Moving forward, Malvern and Ormond Glenhuntly hope to see more women come out to play ball.
“After two years of lockdowns, many women are looking for opportunities to try something new and get active," said Leah Trebilcock of Malvern Baseball Club. "The hardest part is turning up. I promise, you'll be hooked from there!”
Check out some of the "to me, respect is..." cards filled out by Malvern and Ormond Glenhuntly on Wednesday night and visit the official website to learn more about the Respect Women: Call It Out campaign.
