June 5, 2025

GRAVENHURST WOMEN’S SOFTBALL LEAGUE BIG HIT ON OPENING NIGHT OF FRESH NEW SEASON

GRAVENHURST — Mother Tucker’s looked more like defending champions than the Florida Panthers as the women opened their season with a 16-9 win over Peter’s Players Monday.

The Hillarie Tucker-sponsored team was in fine form for Game 1 of a fresh start for the 3-pitch Gravenhurst Women’s Softball Association.

On a finally a warm night and with an excited air of optimism after a tough end to last season, the six teams took the well-groomed field at Gull Lake Rotary Park for a great night of friendly camaraderie as they pitched, hit and overall enjoyed a heck of competitive four hours of softball played the hardball way.

And isn’t that was recreational sport’s all about in a community league?

Fun and exercise.

Bat’n’Boujee (sponsored by Kelsey Gliddon) won the 7:30 game 18-5 over JAC. They are the Oilers to Mother Tuckers after finishing second last year.

And Vertex rounded out the nightcap 28-6 over Prestige.

**Mother Tucker’s Miranda Arends lets fly with the first hit of the season in the new GWSL Monday night. PHOTOS Mark Clairmont**

While the three winners had healthy victories everyone was a winner on this glorious night.

A new beginning for an old league, the Gravenhurst Women’s Softball League (GWSL) has a new executive, snazzy pink new jersey and hoodies and a lot of enthusiasm.

It showed with board members introducing themselves on the mound before the opening pitch. They are headed up by president Kara Morley, with Michelle Swanek the 3-Pitch league founder and longtime sponsor; Melissa Boken treasurer/scheduler; Mandy Dart, umpire-in-chief; Kelsey Gliddon, vice-president/communications; Yvonne
Rouleau, social director; and Meghan Pratt, vice-president/secretary.

Swanek threw out the ceremonial first pitch to teammate Cybel Tschetschel, then Swnaek went behind the plate to catch a ball from Morley’s daughter who is a future ladies league junior league ball player in town.

The six teams play every Monday at Gull Lake Rotary Park.

Follow them on Facebook and Instgram to keep up with their standings and plays of the game.