After the Keith Foulke controversy (“First manager fired in the WPBL!”, “How very Boston!”), the Boston Hunters pitching shut down a potent New York Heights offense. Meanwhile the Hunters capitalized on mistakes and picked apart Heights pitching on their way to a 6-1 win.
The Hunters got the scoring started in the top of the first. Single, flyout, hit by pitch, single loaded the bases for Ticara Geldenhuis. Geldenhuis slammed the first of her three doubles on the night, scoring two. But sadly the Hunters couldn’t keep the hits going with two foul popouts to end the inning.
On the mound, the Hunters clearly had a plan of attack. Starting pitcher Alli Schroder went right after dangerous leadoff hitter Natsuki Yonetani, inducing a fly out to center on one pitch. After Madison Willan worked a walk and stole second, Schroder wanted no part of Hieghts captain Denae Benitez and her 2352 OPS and handed her a full count walk. Claire O’Sullivan singled to load the bases, but Schroder got Katherine Murphy to tap back to the mound for the out at home and Diana Ibarra to ground out weakly to first. Crisis averted.
For the rest of the night, the Hunters pitching attacked the top two batters in the Heights order, preventing Benitez from coming to bat with runners on base. Benitez led off the inning for her last three at bats, lining out sharply to short in the 3rd, receiving another pitch-around walk in the 5th, and singling to lead off the 7th to extend her hitting streak. But the Heights could never put together a big inning. Benitez showed her frustration in the 5th when she tried to score from second on a Claire O’Sullivan single but was tagged out at home on a crisp relay from right.
The Heights did manage to manufacture a run in the 4th against Hunters reliever Olivia Bricker. Jaida Lee led off with a walk and stole second. Alyssa Zettlemoyer singled to move Lee to third, an Keira Izumi hit a sac fly to left to score Lee. But Bricker got Yonetani to fly out to center, and Willan to roll over on a ground ball to first, leaving Benitez in the on deck circle yet again.
The Hunters had pushed a run across in the top of the 4th against Heights reliever Rakyung Kim thanks to a leadoff walk and two singles wrapped around the first two outs of the inning. But chased Kim in the 5th when her defense let her down.
Denver Bryant led off the 5th with a ground ball to the right side, which Heights 1B Claire O’Sullivan ranged far to grab. Unfortunately, O’Sullivan’s hasty throw to Kim covering first was offline and the ball went to the dugout fence, allowing Bryant to reach second on the error. Geldenhuis hit a fly ball to center which froze centerfielder Diana Ibarra who lost the ball in the lights, allowing the ball to drop behind her for Geldenhuis’ second double on the night. Bryant had to hold up on the play and only reached third, but scampered home on a passed ball to the next batter Kate Blunt, who eventually worked a walk.
Kim got Maika Dumais to line out to short, holding the runners at first and third. But Boston catcher Hyeonah Kim won the “Kim on Kim” matchup, doubling home Geldenhuis and ending Rakyung Kim’s night for the Heights. Reliever London Studer struck out her first batter, walked the next, and struck out Edith De Leija to end the inning, but not before a wild pitch brought in Kate Blunt from third.
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