It was a battle of the sexes.

“Wait, how did we get two outs?”

“Way to swagger home, Bob.”

Jovial psych-outs and cheers for hits marked a ladies versus men’s night baseball game in Wiscasset on August 7.

It was an indoor game, under the lights in the senior center at the Wiscasset Community Center. The bases were chairs, where players sat until their teammates could get them home.

There was no bat. Players tossed small beanbags toward a board with holes in it marked “single,” “double,” “triple” and “home run.”

Several innings in, a plastic grocery bag was laid on the floor as a line to help everyone throw from the same distance.

It was all in fun, and attendees were having plenty of it, with the baseball and other activities at the regular Wednesday night community supper.

Donna Waterman of Wiscasset played guitar during a round of “Happy Birthday” sung for members celebrating theirs. Later, she and Wiscasset Selectmen's Chairman Ed Polewarczyk led sing-alongs of “We Ain't Got a Barrel of Money” and “Down by the Ol' Mill Stream,” which turned into a laugh-along.

“It's not just a bunch of old people sitting around,” Wiscasset's Carl Hewitt, chairman of the center's trustees, said about the evening. “It's a social event, and a good meal,” he said.

Other activities happen during the week. Sally Sherman is a regular for cribbage.

“I like to win,” she said.

Sometimes, players from other senior centers in the region come for matches.

Cribbage is at 9:30 a.m. Tuesdays and 6 p.m. Thursdays. As with the meals, participants don't have to be members of the senior center.

In addition to enjoying meals and games, the seniors have found ways to help in the community. They donate goods to a church food pantry, give an annual scholarship to a high school senior going on to trade school, and give Thanksgiving baskets to families in need, Hewitt said.

Recently, several seniors signed up to be trained to help Lincoln County with communication and shelter duties in emergencies like an extended power outage, members said.

Attendance for the meals appears to be improving as word of mouth spreads about the tasty dishes prepared by the new cook, Julie Bellefleur, members said.

Nancy Roby likes the night off from cooking at home. But she and others interviewed said spending the time with one another is the best part.

They get to see longtime friends and make new ones. Mattie and husband Mim Welch of Jefferson have been coming to the center for more than a decade.

“You meet a lot of different people here,” Mim Welch said.

To anyone on the fence about whether to check out the center, Larry Clark of Wiscasset said: “Come on out and have fun.”

“Try it. You'll like it if you do,” Newt Blakesley of Westport Island said.

The Wednesday night suppers are $8 for members, $10 for non-members, Hewitt said; Thursday lunches are $6 for everyone.

For more on the senior center's programs, call 207-882-8230 or visit www.wiscassetrec.com and look for “senior center” under the “programs” drop-down menu.

Susan Johns can be reached at 207-844-4633 or susanjohns@wiscassetnewspaper.com