1961 held at Cincinnati, Ohio.
Champion: Dairy Cottage, Covington, Kentucky (29-1)
Runner Up: Cleveland Jets, Cleveland, Ohio
Dairy Cottage got 5 runs in 7th inning highlighted by Kathy Walz’s 3rd hit of the game, a 3-run home run, leading the 11-hit attack that gave Dairy Cottage pitcher Sandy Conway the 9-6 victory over the Cleveland Jets in the Women’s first official Slow Pitch National Championship. Conway was 3-0 pitching for the champs. Her teammates had her back scoring 30 runs in the 3 games Dairy Cottage won, Conway surrendered eleven runs.
The 7th inning uprising was highlighted by Cindy Windburn and Joyce Mason, both delivered 2-run singles breaking a 4-4 tie in the top of the 7th, making the score 9-4. Mason had 3 RBI in the game. Jean Lenzer collected 2 Doubles.
The Cleveland Jets tallied 2 runs in the bottom of the 7th, but it wasn’t enough. Gloria Weiss belted a triple for the Jets in that game to tie the score at 4 earlier in the game. Cleveland Jets Ruth Poole was the losing pitcher, but she did hit a home run for the Jets. In the semifinals, Ruth Poole came through with a clutch single in the 10th inning to clinch the victory for the Cleveland Jets.
In the other semifinal, Kathy Walz and Sandy Conway both hit a home run and accounted for 5 RBI in the Dairy Cottage 13-3 win over Rutenschorer.
Although she did not make the All America Squad, Rutenschroer’s Norma Eschenbrenner is reported to have had a .602 average during the course of the season.
Dairy Cottage won the first Women’s ASA Slow Pitch Northern Kentucky Championship to qualify for the National. They defeated Vater Playground 17-3 in the final. Donna Clousterman hit 3 HR for Dairy Cottage in the event.
Winning pitcher Sandy Conway backed by the hitting of Kathy Walz, 3 hits, including a 2-Run HR; Jean Lenzer, 2 2B and Joyce Mason, 3 RBI
- MVP – Not awarded (Newspaper accounts say it would have been Sandy Conway for her pitching and hitting)
- Outstanding Pitcher – Sandy Conway, Dairy Cottage (3-0 pitching record)
- Batting Leader – Kathy Walz, Dairy Cottage – Most Hits
- HR Leader – Kathy Walz, Dairy Cottage – 3
FIRST TEAM ALL AMERICANS
P – Sandy Conway, Dairy Cottage (3-0 pitching including a HR in the semi-final)
C – Rose Scheutzow, Cleveland Jets
1B – Betty Dvorak, Dairy Cottage
2B – Kathy Walz, Dairy Cottage (HR in semifinals and 3-3 with a HR in the final)
3B – Nancy Margrath, Heidel’s Hall
SS – Barbara Klicka, Cleveland Jets
OF – Betty DeSanto, Cleveland Jets
OF – Jean Lenzer, Dairy Cottage
OF – Carol Smith, Rutenschroer Florist
HONORABLE MENTION
3B – Connie Cash, Dairy Cottage
FINAL STANDINGS (Single Elimination)
1. Dairy Cottage, Covington, KY (3-0)
2. Cleveland Jets, Cleveland, OH (2-1)
3t. Rutenschorer Florist, Cincinnati, OH (2-1)
3t. Louisville Has-Beens, Louisville, KY (1-1)
— last 6 teams went to consolation flight —
5. Heidel’s Hall, Cincinnati, OH 1-1 (3-1)
6. Zee’s Nite Club, Perrysburg, OH 0-1 (2-2)
7. Fin ‘N Feather, Milwaukee, WI 0-1 (1-2)
8. Aughinbaugh Canning Company, Biloxi, MS 0-1 (0-2)
8. Ellisvile Girls, St. Louis, MO 0-1 (1-2)
8. Interstate Life Insurance, Chattanooga, TN 0-1 (0-2)
SCORES
First Round
Rutenschorer Florist, Cincinnati, OH 4 Interstate Life Ins., Chattanooga, TN 1
Heidel’s Hall, Cincinnati, OH 5 Fin ‘N Feather, Milwaukee, WI 0
Quarterfinals
Rutenschorer Florist, Cincinnati, OH 7 Aughinbaugh Canning Company, Biloxi, MS 0
Dairy Cottage, Covington, KY 8 Zee’s Nite Club, Perrysburg, OH 2
Louisville Has-Beens, Louisville, KY 4 Ellisville Girls, St. Louis, MO 3
Cleveland Jets, Cleveland, OH 6 Heidel’s Hall, Cincinnati, OH 5
Semifinals
Dairy Cottage, Covington, KY 13 Rutenschorer Florist, Cincinnati, OH 3 — Cathy Walz and Sandy Conway both hit home runs for Dairy Cottage.
Cleveland Jets, Cleveland, OH 2 Louisville Has-Beens, Louisville, KY 1 — Ruth Poole had a single in 10th inning drove in winning run for Cleveland
Championship
Dairy Cottage, Covington, KY 9 Cleveland Jets, Cleveland 6
CONSOLATION STANDINGS
1. Heidel’s Hall, Cincinnati, OH (2-0)
2. Zee’s Nite Club, Perrysburg, OH (2-1)
3. Fin ‘N Feather, Milwaukee, WI (1-1)
3. Ellisvile Girls, St. Louis, MO (0-1)
5. Aughinbaugh Canning Company, Biloxi, MS (0-1)
5. Interstate Life Insurance, Chattanooga, TN (0-1)
CONSOLATION SCORES
First Round
Fin ‘N Feather, Milwaukee, WI 14 Interstate Life Ins., Chattanooga, TN 1
Zee’s Nite Club, Perrysburg, OH 12 Aughinbaugh Canning Company, Biloxi, MS 1
Semifinals
Heidel’s Hall, Cincinnati, OH 4 Ellisvile Girls, St. Louis, MO 2
Zee’s Nite Club, Perrysburg, OH 1 Fin ‘N Feather, Milwaukee, WI 0
Consolation Final
Heidel’s Hall, Cincinnati, OH 11 Zee’s Nite Club, Perrysburg, OH 0
