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Nashua Pride Celebrates Women's Achievements in Baseball

August 16, 2007 - Canadian American League (Can-Am)
American Defenders of New Hampshire News Release


(NASHUA, NH, August 16, 2007) Nashua Pride officials announced that on Sunday, August 19th in addition to the two All American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) special guests, Nellie Twardzik, the first girl ever to play on a boys high school baseball team in 1935, will be appearing on Breast Cancer Awareness Day. The team plans to celebrate the accomplishments of women's baseball with the two original appearances by Dolly White and Helen Nordquist, (original members of the AAGPBL) immortalized in the popular 1992 movie, "A League of their Own", and Nellie will complete the celebration of the achievements women have made in baseball.

Nellie Twardzik gained national recognition in 1935 when she became the first girl to start on a high school baseball team at Bartlett High School in Webster, MA. Nellie Twardzik Thompson's first baseman's glove and high school letter were placed on permanent display at the May 2006 opening of the "Diamond Dreams Women in Baseball" gallery in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York. Copies of her scrapbooks have been on file in the National Baseball Library there since 1990. Recognized at Fenway Park last year, she will be on hand during the August 29 Pride game to sign autographs.

In addition, Dolly and Helen will help run the free pre-game girl's and women's baseball clinic from 12 pm to 1 pm, with members of the North American Women's Baseball League and will also be on hand during the game to sign free autographs in the concourse. Registration for the camp starts at 11:30 am.

The Nashua Pride will promote Breast Cancer Awareness through silent auctions and raffles for great prizes. Proceeds will be donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation and the Adult Learning Center's Breast Cancer Education Initiative for Low-Income & Minority Women founded by Carolyn Choate in 2005 to educate women about the importance of early detection. Women without high school diplomas and immigrant females are fives times more likely to die of breast cancer than any other population in the United States due to unawareness of the benefits of self-examinations and mammography.

Tulley Automotive has generously donated 100 tickets to be distributed to low-income families. "We are glad to help with this important cause," says Tulley President, Jack Tulley, "and happy that many area families will be able to enjoy a day at the ball park that they might not otherwise have the pleasure of attending."

In addition to the fund raising activities, the Pride would like to invite all breast cancer survivors, or those who have lost a loved one to the disease, onto the field for a very special "Field of Dreams" ceremony as the Pride take the field.

In honor of the occasion, the Pride will give away pink hats to the first 750 fans, plus the sixth card of the Pride's 10 Best Series will be distributed to the first 1,000 fans. WYCN tv13, Nashua's own, Carolyn Choate will sing the National Anthem.

Dolly and Nordie who both served as consultants for the movie, "A League of their Own", will appear with Nelly and headline the "Generations of women's baseball" celebration before the game which includes Pride GM and Women's Baseball Hall of Fame inductee, Robin Wallace as well as New Hampshire residents Christal Fitzergald, Erica Fotino and Pride Bat Girl, Lindsay Davis. Christal Fitzergald has made history by becoming the first international female and 4th female in history to play college baseball as pitcher/second baseman at Daniel Webster College while Erica and Lindsay are baseball pioneers at the high school and college level respectively.

The Nashua Pride Professional Baseball Club, entering its tenth anniversary season, provides a fun, affordable, community-based and fan-friendly source of sports entertainment. The Pride is participating in its second year of play in the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball. Tune into all of the Pride's game this season via internet radio broadcast on http://www.broadcastmonsters.com/Nashua/pride.asx.

For more information call 603-883-BALL (2255), or visit www.nashuapride.com

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