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Only a few woman have broken into the world of men’s major league baseball. Some of the names included are Lizzie Arlington, one of the first woman to play professional baseball in the 19th century. Also in that list was Ila Borders, the first female pitcher to compete in the NCAA college baseball league. Among these First woman to compete in a professional baseball league in 1953 was Toni Stone, Also know by her married name Mercenia Lyle Alberga. Toni Stone had one of the greatest batting averages among woman of this time. She maintained a .243 batting average. Also in her career she got a hit off of the legendary Satchel Paige. Toni was inducted into the International Woman’s Sports Hall of Fame as well as included in two displays in the Baseball Hall of Fame (“Women in baseball” and “Negro League Baseball”). Other women of the time with high batting averages were Ruth Lessing, a 5’5″ Catcher in the All American Girls Baseball League. Ruth succeeded in 1840 times at bat with only 184 strike outs, 204 walks and 351 hits, a milestone in Girls League Baseball. These women were successful in a league that society did not intend for them.

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