Call them the men and women of summer.

For at least the last three years, Fuller Industries Inc. employees have traded the factory floor for the ball diamond, and the Fuller Finishers, as the team is known, have taken part in the Great Bend Recreation Commission’s co-ed softball season.

“It’s important to provide an opportunity for the employees to bond outside of work,” said Kirsten Zamarripa, Fuller accounting clerk and team organizer. This year’s roster boosts 18 members, including staff and their family members.

“We spend a lot of time at work,” she said, “But when you get an opportunity to have outside team building activities, I believe it helps our work relationships.”

But this bonding extends beyond those in the dugout and on the field, she said. “Last year we had not only the players who attended the games, but we had an additional section in the crowd of coworkers cheering for everyone. It definitely created a sense of comradery.”

The Finishers played their first game Tuesday evening at the Veterans Memorial Park South ballfield in Great Bend. They lost by a score of 8-11 after an hour and six hard-fought innings.

Sure, there were some bloodied knees from players giving it their all, but the score only tells a part of the story, Zamarripa said. The high fives, fist bumps and smiles among the players, and cheers from those in the stands make it worthwhile regardless of what the scoreboard reads.

The team plays an eight-game schedule through Aug. 23. The games fall on Tuesdays and Fridays against teams with names that include Holy Hitters and Scared Hitless.