From todays WDL: (sorry its not online yet)
Church softball game ends in melee; two players injured, charges pending
The Waxahachie Police Department is investigating a brawl that broke out between two church teams at the conclusion of a softball game Monday night.
Officers were dispatched to the scene at the Waxahachie Sports Complex shortly after 10 p.m. in response to a fight in progress.
The game had concluded, with Ferris Avenue Baptist Church of Waxahachie taking the victory over Good Shepherd Church of Ennis, when the fight occurred.
According to the police reports, a player with Ferris Avenue Baptist indicated in his statement to police that “there had been tension throughout the game from questionable calls made by the umpires and both teams had been talking trash to each other during the game.”
The witness said that once the game was over, the two teams met in the middle of the field to shake hands but at that point a fight ensued.
During the fight, at least two of the Good Shepherd team members got bats and began hitting players with Ferris Avenue Baptist, according to the reports, with the Good Shepherd team then vacating the premises prior to the arrival of police and emergency responders.
One Ferris Avenue Baptist player was struck in the head with a bat, losing consciousness and falling to the ground, where he was kicked by several Good Shepherd players, according to witness reports.
Emergency responders transported the player, who was throwing up blood and who had suffered cuts to his face and a swollen eye, according to the reports, to Baylor Medical Center at Waxahachie for treatment.
His condition was not immediately available.
A second Ferris Avenue Baptist player who was struck on the hand by a bat transported himself to the emergency room for treatment of a possible fracture.
Umpires confirmed to police the fight started as the team started to shake hands but they were unsure who started it.
Other witnesses told police they thought the fight started when a Good Shepherd player hit a Ferris Avenue Baptist player with a bat.
Several Ferris Avenue Baptist players told police that mutual fighting had occurred, however, it was only Good Shepherd members who introduced bats into the melee.
The lineups of the teams were retrieved from the umpires, and an investigation continues as police try to identify all who were involved, especially the identity of those who used bats to attack their opponents, Lt. Cyndy Wiser said.
The players who used bats are facing a felony charge off aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, she said.
“We’re urging anyone who was a witness to what happened to come forward and contact either me or Sgt. Rodney Guthrie,” she said. “Or, if they want to remain anonymous, they can call our Crime Stoppers number at (972) 937-PAYS. If their information leads to an arrest, a monetary award may be available.”
Wiser said the Waxahachie Police Department would be working with investigators with the Ennis Police Department also to help identify the Good Shepherd players who used bats during the fight.
Contact the Waxahachie Police Department at (972) 937-9940.
