Bullets Shoot Blanks, Women Routed in Debut Against Men’s Pro Team

The Colorado Silver Bullets, the first all-woman baseball team to play against a professional men’s team, had an inauspicious debut Sunday when they were routed 19-0 by the Northern League All-Stars.

The Silver Bullets had only two hits, singles by Michele McAnany and Stacy Sunny, against six All-Stars pitchers and committed six errors, four by shortstop Shae Sloan. The All-Stars had 21 hits, including three home runs--two by former major leaguer Leon Durham--and eight doubles.

“I’m disappointed, but not with the loss,” Silver Bullets Manager Phil Niekro said. “I am disappointed with the way we didn’t catch the ball or throw the ball like we can today.”

Durham was joined by Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd, a former Boston Red Sox pitcher who started for the All-Stars, and several players with minor league experience.

They scored eight runs in the first two innings, batted around in two innings and had 21 hits against four Colorado pitchers.

The Silver Bullets will play a 50-game schedule as an affiliate of the Northern League, which is based in Burnsville, Minn. They next face the Red Mountain Bandits, a semipro team, in Tempe, Ariz., on May 13.