Photo by Charmain Z. Brackett Jessica Thompson Fort Gordon Woodworth Librarian ( center in blue tights) leads the pack with Sgt. Tia Ortiz 206th Military Intelligence Battalion (far left in pink tank top) close behind. The two women play for the Soul City Sirens roller derby team which won a home game against the Low Country High Rollers 187-74 on March 8 in Augusta. A few of Fort Gordon's own led the pack for Augusta's Soul City Sirens as they won their first roller derby bout of the year Sunday at Augusta's Red Wing Rollerway 187-74 over the Low Country High Rollers of Charleston.

"This is our third game. We didn't do so well in January. We did better in February. The fact we did so well shows the team is getting better," said Jessica Thompson, a librarian at Woodworth Library, who skates under the nickname of Inskatiable.

Thompson just returned from an ankle injury. Joining her was Sgt. Tia Ortiz of the 206th Military Intelligence Battalion, and Nicole Vione, whose husband, 2nd Lt. Christian Vione is with the 442nd Signal Battalion.

Ortiz hasn't been with the team very long. In only her second bout, it was the first for her in front of the hometown crowd.

"I'm super excited," said Ortiz, who dedicated the match to the injured Anita Str8jacket.

Ortiz, who skates as Adelaide U Out, has been a frequent performer with the Fort Gordon Dinner Theatre.

"The adrenaline with this is even more so than with theater," she said.

The Soul City Sirens started off the evening with an impressive entrance.

As the disco balls were spinning and creating a colorful pattern on the rink floor, the team burst through a banner and never looked back, owning the floor from the start.

At the end of the first period, the team had taken a 62-19 lead.

It was Vione's second match with the Sirens as well.

"I'm real psyched," she said about playing.

But the game was bittersweet for her. Her husband will only be at Fort Gordon a total of about four months and will be heading to Korea by late spring.

"They've been so welcoming. I feel like I'm part of a Family. I think I'm going to miss them," she said.

The Sirens next match will be in Charleston on March 22 against the Low Country High Rollers. The team does not have another home game scheduled for several months; however, team members would like to add another if possible.

For more information about the team visit www.soulcitysirens.com.