The Amazonas of Yaxunah start off every softball game with a Maya battle cry that ends with a roar: “¡mujeres fuertes!”
Though the team started off in 2018 as an outlet to simply have some fun, the Amazonas and their barefoot playing style soon captured the attention of everyone in town and beyond.
Now, this team of remarkable women from Yucatán has achieved yet another of their dreams, to play in an MLB stadium.
The exhibition match — celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month in the US — took place in Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks, where they defeated the Falcons of Arizona State University 22-3. Their pitcher also tossed the opening pitch at the start of the MLB game that followed.
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Pitchers Patricia Tec and Juanita Moo did a remarkable job in containing the offensive by Arizona. Ultimately, it was the batting by Lili Chan, Citlali Dzib and Berenice Ay that gave the Amazonas the decisive advantage
“It’s so wonderful that this trip finally came together. It’s something we had been planning for quite some time,” reads a press statement issued by Major League Baseball.
The squad has also had the opportunity to play several exhibition games in sold-out stadiums of Mexico’s major leagues.
The Amazonas are most famous for the fact that they play barefoot and wear the traditional Mestizo huipil. But make no mistake, though these women play mostly for fun, they are real athletes with a deep passion for the game.
Despite all living in Yaxunah, the members of the Amazonas originally came from rural communities across the state and range in age from teenagers to women in their late 50s.
The Amazonas have become well known in Yucatán as role models, especially for little girls wanting to get involved with sports.
“I am not going to stand here and say it was easy, but if we can achieve something as amazing as this, there is no telling what the next generation can do,” said starting pitcher Patricia Tec.
