The Benoni Indians trio of Kimberly Dowling, Emma Lake, and Persephone Schoeman flew the country’s flag high when they represented South Africa during the Rising Stars Friendly Baseball Series in Uganda from January 7 to 10.

The girls were part of the 18-player squad selected by South African Baseball (SAB) for this international series aimed at growing women’s baseball on the continent.

According to the SAB, the Ugandan tour formed part of the organisation’s ongoing U15 programme and its broader efforts to expand structured international participation for women’s baseball.

“The continued growth of women’s baseball is a priority for South African Baseball. Tours such as this provide young players with early exposure to international competition and support the long-term development structures in place,” said the president, Marc Moreau.

He emphasised that the tour was important for continental engagement.

“Maintaining and strengthening relationships with other African baseball nations is important for the development of the sport across the continent. These fixtures contribute to shared learning and sustainable competition,” he added.

South Africa opened the tour with two fixtures on January 7. In the first match, they lost 8-4 to the hosts and later secured a 6-5 win in a thrilling match, won at the back end of the fourth inning, thanks to Zara Kariem’s single that sealed the win.

Former Benoni Indians player Lucy Miller delivered a composed relief pitching performance to help close out the game.

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