Because I take this gig seriously, I try to maintain a neutral stance on every derby game I cover. I try to highlight the ups and mention the downs of each team’s performance. Of course, there will always be a winner, but it’s my job to refrain from raving, even in the case of a legendary team (Rat City) I might have idolized for years.

Saturday, the Salt City Derby Girls hosted their second banked track game of the season, pitting two of my dear friends against each other on opposite home teams, the Bomber Babes and the Sisters of No Mercy. Luckily, instead of having to choose somebody to cheer on, I just sat back and held my tongue.

The first half of the game started with both teams wrestling to gain control of the starting line, favoring a strategy of locking up blockers to the upper rails of the track, allowing a jammer to slip through on the inside. Bomber Babe Lady Rage managed to snag her team an early lead with a 10-point power jam, but the score quickly evened out as Rage herself was called out on a back block, allowing the Sisters a power jam of their own. Assisted by a tight blocker lineup that included SCDG founder Brew HaHa and Daisy Demonic, jammer Sister Satan was able to slip through the defense multiple times and steadily build a lead for the Sisters of No Mercy by the halftime whistle.

As the Bomber Babes returned to the track, the laser-sharp determination in their eyes helped to break up the Sisters’ strong back wall. NOS, having been absent from the jammer line in the last fifteen minutes of the first half, managed to break through on a power jam with only two Bomber blockers on her side. Her team started bringing out the brutality, Ursula Scivious and Crucio distracting the Sisters with bunny hops at the start of one jam. However, the Sisters of No Mercy had built a 20-point lead by the third quarter, and weren’t about to allow any grand slams.

With only two blockers on the track, a jammer in the box, and Lady Rage gearing up for yet another power jam, the Sisters fought hard for the whole minute duration. The looks on their faces were unforgettable as the whistle blew, signifying that they had kept Rage from scoring.

Though a final rally by NOS gained the Bombers enough points to shorten the gap between themselves and the Sisters, there simply wasn’t the extra minute they needed to overtake the girls in black. The last jam of the night ended with a score of 121-113.

An incredibly close game that kept the crowd engaged, (cheers for favorite jammers and audible groans after big collisions) the second Salt City home game of the season wrapped up a hotly contested intraleague rivalry, at least until the Bomber Babes and the Sisters of No Mercy meet up again … at practice.

Salt City’s scheduled July 7 home team bout between the Death Dealers and the Leave It to Cleavers has been postponed, but you can follow up by checking out their Facebook at or do it the old fashioned way, and check out their website for more.

Check out more photos by Shooter here.