Grand Rapids Chicks 1953 Playoff Lineup <>

Doris Sadie Satterfield LF, Jean Smith CF, Joyce Ricketts RF, Renae Youngberg 3B, Gabby Ziegler SS, Dolores Moore 2B, Inez Lefty Voyce 1B, Marilyn Jenkins Catcher, Eleanor Moore P, Mary Lou Studnicka P, Earlene Risinger P, Dot Mueller P, 

Game 1 - playing at home the Rockford Peaches scored early and often and won the playoff opener 9-2. The Peaches lined 13 hits off Grand Rapids starter Eleanor Moore and reliever Mary Lou Studnicka.

Game 2  the action shifted to Grand Rapids home ballpark and Beans Risinger pitched a complete game, two-hit, 2-0 shutout.

Game 3  Dot Mueller pitched and the Chicks won 4-3 and advanced to the Championship Series against the Kalamazoo Lassies who defeated Fort Wayne in the other first round games.

1953 Championship Series <> Grand Rapids swept Kalamazoo in the best of three game set.

Game 1  the Grand Rapids Chicks beat the Kalamazoo Lassies 5-2 aided by the pitching of Mary Lou Studnicka. She allowed only 2 runs thru 8 innings. With the scored tied 2-2 going into the 4th inning, the Chicks scored 3 runs off Lassies pitcher Gloria Cordes. A tie-breaking sacrifice fly by Gabby Ziegler scored Dolores Moore who started the inning with a single, and, another sac-fly this time by Inez Voyce put the Chicks up 4-2. A single by Joyce Ricketts scored the game’s final run. When Kalamazoo’s first two batters reached base in the 9th, Chick’s manager Woody English promptly brought in pitcher Eleanor Moore. Moore struck out Isabel Alvarez for out number 1, Dottie Schroeder popout to shortstop Gabby Ziegler, and June Peppas hit a sharp grounder to second baseman Dolores Moore who threw to Lefty Voyce at first base for the final out of the game.

Game 2 in Kalamazoo – with cold weather around 40 degrees and windy both teams’ managers agreed the game will go just seven innings. Grand Rapids 6 ft 1 inch, right-handed pitcher Earlene Risinger defeated the Lassies 4-1, aided by a two run double in the sixth by Joyce Ricketts. Kalamazoo Doris Sams lined a homer for the Lassies only run.

In the final game of the championship Grand Rapids manager Woody English was thrown out of the game for arguing with the umpire and Chicks captain Gabby Ziegler took over as acting manager.

Doris Sams, one of the AAGPBL power hitters, hit 12 home runs during the 1952 season. Women's Baseball History

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