May 25, 1996: Angie Mentink, Pam Davis lead Silver Bullets over Fort Bragg All-Stars

More than a quarter century before Angie Mentink (née Marzetta)1 became the Seattle Mariners’ first female color commentator, she was a speedy outfielder and steady line-drive hitter for the Colorado Silver Bullets, the women’s professional baseball team that barnstormed throughout the United States and Canada. Mentink was an intense and fearless competitor, and those qualities were on full display in a 1996 game against the Fort Bragg All-Stars, a team comprised of men from the world’s largest military base.2

Mentink sparked a four-run uprising in the fifth inning with an RBI double that knocked in the go-ahead run. Later in the inning, she stole home on the front end of a double-steal attempt, and the Silver Bullets won, 5-2, in front of 2,629 spectators at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.3

Mentink had been an exceptional fast-pitch softball player at Central Arizona Community College and the University of Washington.4 As a junior with the Huskies in 1993, she batted .472 and set a conference record with 59 steals in 58 games.5 In her senior year, she was a third-team All-American, and in 2001 became the first softball player inducted into the Husky Hall of Fame.6 As of the end of the 2026 season, Mentink still held several UW softball records, including highest career batting average (.429) and single-season records for the highest batting average and most stolen bases.7

Competition to earn a spot on the Silver Bullets was fierce. When the team was established in 1994, nearly 2,000 women tried out, 49 players earned spring training invitations, and only 24 made the roster.8 Most of the players on the inaugural squad returned in 1995.

Three days after their second-to-last game of the 1994 season, the Silver Bullets held an open tryout at Everett (Washington) Memorial Stadium, and 96 players, including the 23-year-old Mentink, showed up.9 Despite learning about it a day earlier and having never played organized baseball, Mentink impressed manager Phil Niekro and his staff enough to earn a spring training invite. “It’s the first time I’ve hit a baseball,” she admitted after the tryout.10

Mentink was a quick study. She made the Silver Bullets and went on to have a solid rookie campaign, hitting .221 – 38 percentage points above the team average – and using her keen batting eye to get on base at a .383 clip, second best on the squad.11

In a nationally-televised game on July 12 in Columbia, South Carolina, Mentink nearly became the first Silver Bullet to charge the mound.12 Midway through the 1995 season, the women had been struck by pitches more than twice as often as their opponents and Mentink, the team’s co-leader with five hit-by-pitches in 1995, got angry after getting plunked.13The 5-foot-6, 141-pounder feigned a move towards the pitcher; the Columbia team, made up of former minor leaguers and college players, just laughed.14 “I really wasn’t going to charge the mound. I just wanted him to think I was,” said the fiery Mentink. “I wouldn’t charge the mound … unless a pitcher hit me twice. Then, I’m going after him.”15

The Silver Bullets were formed less than two years after the wildly successful movie A League of Their Own had introduced a new generation of sports fans to the long-forgotten All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Before the Silver Bullets, the last female team to play professional baseball was [Bill] Allington’s All-Americans, a team of former AAGPBL stars that barnstormed from 1955 to 1958.16

According to the ColoradoSilverBullets.org website, the team’s goal was to “inspire female athletes to play the game of baseball at all levels … and encourage all forms of organized baseball to accept women athletes as players.” The Silver Bullets were financed by a $2.6M sponsorship deal with the Coors Brewing Company, an organization that wanted to improve its corporate image after a series of consumer boycotts dating back to the 1950s.17

The team was largely made up of former fast-pitch softball players with limited baseball experience, so competing against men who had played hardball their entire lives proved difficult. The Silver Bullets went 6-38 in 1994 and 11-33 in 1995. They came into their matchup with the Fort Bragg military men having lost six in a row, dropping their 1996 record to 2-9.18 Worse still, they had been shut out in three consecutive games.

Righty Pam Davis, a 22-year-old student at the University of South Florida, got the start for Colorado. She was in her second year with the Silver Bullets and was quickly becoming the staff ace. She had a 1-2 record, with her win coming in her first start of the season, a 5-1 victory over a 30-and-over men’s team in Augusta, Georgia. Davis limited the Georgians to only six hits and one unearned run in 7⅔ innings.

Displaying a smooth delivery and a high leg kick, Davis kept the Fort Bragg hitters off the scoresheet in the first inning.19 After surrendering an unearned run in the second, the 5-foot-6, 143-pound hurler tossed scoreless innings in the third and fourth.

Fort Bragg starter Eugene Falu-Montes, a 25-year-old hurler with a fastball that exceeded 90 MPH, made quick work of the Silver Bullets.20 The former American Legion teammate of Jorge Posada tossed four hitless innings and allowed only one walk with six punchouts.

A reliever with the surname of Brooke took over from Falu-Montes in the fifth. The Silver Bullets registered their first hit of the game when Stacy Sunny stroked a two-out single to score center fielder Kim Braatz with the tying run. The run-scoring hit elicited cheers from the crowd.21 After catcher Missy Cress drew a walk, Mentink stepped up to the plate. She came through with another two-out hit, a double into left field that scored Sunny with the go-ahead run and advanced Cress to third.

A hurler with the surname of Astegren relieved Brooke. He uncorked a wild pitch, scoring Cress with the third run of the inning.22 Moments later, Mentink was on third and another baserunner was on first when the Silver Bullets attempted a double steal. The trailing runner was tagged out, but the fleet-footed Mentink had already crossed the plate, giving the Silver Bullets a 4-1 lead.23

In the sixth, Astegren walked designated hitter Wendee Espinosa. She stole second and scored on a single by Braatz, whose .291 batting average was second best on the Silver Bullets in 1996.24 Colorado led, 5-1, after six frames.

Davis ended her night after tossing another scoreless inning in the seventh. She allowed one unearned run on eight hits and one walk, striking out five batters.

Righty Alyson Habetz took over from Davis in the eighth. Habetz had waged a two-year court battle to become the first girl on a high-school baseball team in Louisiana, and she went on to play basketball and softball at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.25 She surrendered an earned run to Fort Bragg on two hits, cutting the Silver Bullets’ lead to 5-2.

Closer Christine Monge, a hard-throwing righty, pitched a perfect ninth to earn her third save of the season and raise Colorado’s record to 3-9.26

The win meant a lot to the Silver Bullets. “To me, personally, it is a sense of relief − big time,” admitted rookie shortstop Camille Spitaleri. “We kicked their butts. I’m sure we gained some respect.”27

The relief was short-lived. The Silver Bullets lost their next eight games and struggled through much of June and July. But they rallied down the stretch, winning nine of their last 12 games to finish with an 18-34 record.

Mentink continued to spark the Colorado offense and ended the season batting .241 with a .414 on-base percentage and 32 runs scored. Davis went 7-7 and issued only 1.9 walks per nine innings.28

Mentink earned just $25,000 — plus all the Coors beer she could drink — playing for the Silver Bullets in 1996.29Although she was invited to return for the 1997 season, she decided to begin a career in sports broadcasting in Seattle.30She went on to become a longtime anchor at Root Sports Northwest and co-anchor of the Mariners’ pregame and postgame shows.

After more than 20 years of broadcasting, Mentink became the Mariners’ first female color commentator on August 30, 2021.31 She took over the role full-time in 2025.32

The unassuming trailblazer overcame two serious health issues during her broadcasting career. Mentink was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017, and she openly shared her journey, raising awareness of the importance of regular screening.33 On February 20, 2026, she had a stroke, which briefly left her unable to speak and paralyzed on her left side. Remarkably, the beloved broadcaster was able to return to the booth in time for Opening Day.34

The Silver Bullets had their best season on the field in 1997, posting their first and only winning record (23-22). It wasn’t enough to stop attendance from continuing to plummet, as the novelty of watching a women’s baseball team compete against men wore off.35 In August 1997, Coors withdrew as the main sponsor and no other companies stepped in.36The team folded in the spring of 1998.

Acknowledgments

This article was fact-checked by Ray Danner and copy-edited by Mike Eisenbath.

Sources

In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author consulted coloradosilverbullets.org, gohuskies.com, pac-12.com, the website of the AAGPBL Players Association, and Baseball Reference. Unless otherwise noted, all play-by-play information for this game was taken from the article “Silver Bullets Pick Up a Win” on page D-4 of the May 26, 1996, edition of the Durham Herald-Sun.

Photo credit 

Angie Mentink (née Marzetta), Trading Card Database 

Notes 

1 Although she was known as Angie Marzetta when she played for the Colorado Silver Bullets, this article refers to her as Angie Mentink. She married Ornello Arlati after playing for the Silver Bullets in 1995 and 1996; the couple divorced in 2000. Newspapers referred to her as Angie Arlati from 1999 to 2003. In 2003 she married Jarrett Mentink. “Department of Health, Divorce Index, 1969-2017,” Washington State Archives – Digital Archives, https://digitalarchives.wa.gov/Record/View/08AD1A938FA85F11EBF05270FEC42807, accessed September 24, 2026.

2 As of December 2025, Fort Bragg was home to 53,700 troops and 14,000 working civilians. It supported a population of 260,000, including military families, contractors, retirees, and others. Alan Wooten, “Year in Review: Fort Bragg Back on World’s Largest Military Installation,” The Center Square, December 19, 2025, https://www.thecentersquare.com/north_carolina/article_29b65ee2-3f76-4d30-a576-81647259b905.html.

3 Durham Bulls Athletic Park opened on April 6, 1995, with a capacity of 10,000. This was the Silver Bullets’ second visit to Durham, North Carolina; they narrowly lost, 5-4, to the Roy Hobbs All-Stars on July 9, 1994. Attendance at the 1994 game was 4,778. Mike Potter, “Nobody Says She Throws Like a Girl,” Durham Herald-Sun, July 10, 1994: D-1.

4 Scott Hanson, “Barnstorming, Baseball and Unlimited Beer: Angie Mentink on Her Time with the Colorado Silver Bullets,” Seattle Times, August 14, 2019, https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/mariners/barnstorming-baseball-and-unlimited-beer-angie-mentink-on-her-time-with-the-colorado-silver-bullets/.

5 The Huskies played in the Pac-10 Conference in 1993 and 1994. As of 2026, they played in the Pac-12 Conference.

6 Hanson, “Barnstorming, Baseball and Unlimited Beer: Angie Mentink on Her Time with the Colorado Silver Bullets.”

7 As of 2026, Mentink also held the single-game records for most hits (6) and stolen bases (4, tied with two others).

8 Associated Press, “Silver Bullets Go Gunning for a Little Respect as 50-Game Schedule Opens,” Wichita Eagle, May 7, 1994: B-4; Woody Baird, “Silver Bullets,” Paducah (Kentucky) Sun, April 25, 1994: B-2; Sharon Wootton, “Nearly 100 Try Out for Silver Bullets,” Everett(Washington) Herald, August 28, 1994: B-1.

9 Wootton, “Nearly 100 Try Out for Silver Bullets.”

10 Wootton, “Nearly 100 Try Out for Silver Bullets.”

11 Mentink’s .383 on-base percentage in 1995 was second on the team among players with at least 50 plate appearances. Second sacker Michele McAnany, daughter of former major-league outfielder Jim McAnany, led the team with a .463 OBP in 1995.

12 McClatchy News Service, “Marzetta’s Lifelong Dream Becomes a Reality,” Rock Hill (South Carolina) Herald, August 25, 1995: D-5; Neil White, “Silver Bullets ‘Open Door,’” Columbia (North Carolina) State, July 13, 1995: C-1.

13 “Bullets Serious Ballclub; Women’s Team Not Taking Guff,” Biloxi Sun Herald, August 3, 1995: D-4.

14 White, “Silver Bullets ‘Open Door.’”

15 McClatchy News Service, “Marzetta’s Lifelong Dream Becomes a Reality.”

16 The AAGPBL operated from 1943 to 1954. Allington’s All-Americans played against men, but games featured both teams batting against their own pitchers. Allington was the winningest manager in AAGPBL history. Players on Allington’s All-Americans included Joanne Weaver, Dorothy “Dottie” Schroeder, and Katie Horstman.

17 The book Brewing a Boycott: How a Grassroots Coalition Fought Coors and Remade American Consumer Activism details “one of the longest-running consumer boycotts in U.S. history, the boycott of Coors beer. From the 1950s to the 1990s, union members, progressive students, Black and Latinx activists, Native Americans, feminists, and members of the LGBTQ+ community built powerful coalitions to challenge the alleged anti-unionism, discrimination, and conservative politics of Coors Brewing Company and the Coors family.” “Brewing a Boycott,” First Amendment Museum, https://firstamendmentmuseum.org/learn/speaker-series/brewing-a-boycott/, accessed September 25, 2026; Gai Ingham Berlage, “The Colorado Silver Bullets: Can Promotion Based on ‘Battle of the Sexes’ Be Successful?” in SABR 50 at 50, ed. Bill Nowlin (Lincoln, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, 2020), accessed online at https://sabr.org/journal/article/the-colorado-silver-bullets-can-promotion-based-on-battle-of-the-sexes-be-successful/ on October 8, 2026; Roberta J. Newman, “2025 SABR/IWBC Women in Baseball Conference: Roberta J. Newman, ‘Beer and Silver Bullets,’” YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLBuh-lXX2U, accessed October 13, 2026.

18 The Fort Bragg All-Stars were assembled from seven different men’s baseball teams that competed on the Army base. The author was unable to determine how many of the men were active-duty soldiers. Jim Furlong, “Silver Bullets Pick Up a Win,” Durham Herald-Sun, May 26, 1996: D-4.

19 Davis’s delivery can be seen on YouTube. “Colorado Silver Bullets vs. Ft. Irwin, 8-31-1995,” YouTube, https://youtu.be/O3RdSaLkPsQ?si=fvrn3frR5QB_hF0a&t=1087, accessed September 25, 2026.

20 “Eugene Falu-Montes,” Veterans Legacy Memorial, https://www.vlm.cem.va.gov/EUGENEFALUMONTES/9ef7b1, accessed October 13, 2026; Scott Pitoniak, “MCC’s Big Daddy Rekindles a Kid’s Love of Baseball,” Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, March 24, 2001: D-1.

21 The fact that Braatz scored the first run was deduced from the box score and game story in the Durham Herald-Sun.

22 The fact that Astegren entered the game at this point was deduced from the box score.

23 Mentink had been timed running to first base in 4.2 seconds. Dana Oland, “Silver Bullets Making Strides in Second Season,” Rock Hill(South Carolina) Herald, August 6, 1995: C-8.

24 First basewoman Laura Espinoza-Watson led the team with a .308 batting average and a .402 slugging percentage.

25 Habetz became head coach of the softball team at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2025. Bill Webb, “Habetz Day Motivation Easy to Find,” Crowley (Louisiana) Post Signal, February 25. 1994: 7.

26 Monge had played Little League and Babe Ruth baseball with boys. She led the Silver Bullets with six saves in 1996 and struck out 23 batters in 24⅔ innings. She is not related to former major-league pitcher Sid Monge. Wootton, “Nearly 100 Try Out for Silver Bullets.”

27 Furlong, “Silver Bullets Pick Up a Win.”

28 Davis’s 5.42 ERA was third best on the team. She was also the first Silver Bullets pitcher to have a .500 or better record for those with at least six decisions.

29 Mentink made $20,000 plus all the Coors beer she could drink in her rookie year. Hanson, “Barnstorming, Baseball and Unlimited Beer: Angie Mentink on Her Time with the Colorado Silver Bullets.”

30 Alex Coffey, “Through a Pro Baseball Career on and off the Field, Angie Mentink Continues to Change the Narrative,” Medium, December 5, 2018, https://marinersblog.mlblogs.com/angie-mentink-is-changing-the-narrative-one-batting-practice-at-a-time-c7299094a64c.

31 Daniel Kramer, “Mentink ‘Thrilled’ After Historic TV Debut,” MLB.com, August 31, 2021, https://www.mlb.com/news/angie-mentink-on-becoming-mariners-first-woman-color-commentator.

32 Teren Kowatsch, “Angie Mentink Will Be First Regular Female Color Analyst in Seattle Mariners History,” Sports Illustrated, February 8, 2025, https://www.si.com/mlb/mariners/onsi/wwwsicom/mlb/mariners/news/angie-mentink-will-be-first-regular-woman-color-analyst-in-seattle-mariners-history.

33 Larry Stone, “After Scary Year with Cancer, Angie Mentink Savors Daily Drumbeat of Baseball,” Seattle Times, August 22, 2018, https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/mariners/mariners-angie-mentink-cancer/.

34 Aspen Anderson, “How Angie Mentink Made It Back After an Offseason Stroke,” Seattle Met, March 27, 2026, https://www.seattlemet.com/news-and-city-life/2026/03/angie-mentink-mariners-stroke-recovery.

35 Berlage, “The Colorado Silver Bullets: Can Promotion Based on ‘Battle of the Sexes’ Be Successful?”

36 Associated Press, “Silver Bullets Stranded with No Team Sponsor,” San Francisco Chronicle, April 20, 1998: E-4.