What looked like a pitchers’ duel for the first three innings turned into a rout as the SF Firebells smoked the “visiting” Boston Hunters 14-6. Kelsie Whitmore hit her ninth home run of the season, putting her one ahead of Denae Benites for the league lead, at least for the moment.
Whitmore started on the mound for the Firebells and was greeted by back-to-back singles from Denver Bryant and Gabbie Haas, both coming on the first pitch they saw. Ticara Geldenhuis also swung at the first pitch she saw but popped out to catcher Alexia George. Molly Paddison worked the count against Whitmore but ultimately rolled over into a ground ball to 1B. Whitmore struck out Edith De Leija swinging to end the inning. Whitmore continued this pattern in the second and third, giving up a hit and picking up a strikeout in each inning.
Boston starter Alli Schroder was equally sharp through the first three innings, facing only 12 batters on 37 pitches, striking out three, walking none, and only giving up three hits. Unfortunately, one of those hits was a Whitmore solo shot in the third, putting the score at 1-0 Firebells to begin the fourth inning.
The Boston offense showed some life against Whitmore in the fourth. De Leija started the inning by grounding out to 2B. But then Whitmore issued her first walk of the night to Lexi Hastings. The bottom of the Boston order then strung together three straight hits from Kate Blunt, Maika Dumais, and Beth Greenwood, scoring three before Bryant to flew out to right and Haas struck out.
Perhaps feeling the effects of six days without game action, the Firebells offense had been shut down by Schroder. But the Firebells would send nine runners to the plate in each of the next three innings, aided by some uncharacteristic defensive mistakes by the Hunters.
Andreanne Leblanc popped up to 2B to start the fourth inning. Unfortunately Haas at 2B had the ball clank off the heel of her glove, allowing Leblanc to reach on the error. Jorge walked, and Kaplan singled to load the bases. Jua Park singled to score Leblanc and keep the bases loaded. Jordan Eyster hit a sac fly to right to score Jorge and tie the ballgame at 3-3.
Ela Day-Bedard hit a slow bouncer into shallow center, which Geldenhuis overran and allowed to get by her. A flustered Geldenhuis threw wildly into the infield, allowing both Kaplan and Park to score. Day-Bedard ended up a second.
Shroder’s night was over. Paloma Benach came on in relief and quickly got Amanda Gianelloni to ground out to 3B. Benach’s next pitch sailed high to Kelsie Whitmore, and with 1B open the Hunters elected to let Whitmore have the intentional walk. Joely Leguizamon came up in the third spot in the Firebells’ batting order normally held down by the absent Jill Albayati and promptly struck out on three pitches to end the threat.
But the Firebells were up 5-3 and never looked back. Whitmore buckled down in the top of the fifth, striking out Geldenhuis looking, Paddison swinging, and beating De Leija to 1B to end the inning.
Leblanc walked to start the bottom of the fifth. Jorge didn’t quite get enough of the first pitch she saw and flew out to deep right. Kaplan singled and Park reached on the dubious catcher’s interference call to load the bases. Eyster singled home Leblanc, and Day-Bedard hit a sac fly to left to score Kaplan. Amanda Gianelloni, who never met a first pitch she didn’t like, finally put one into play, singling home Park. With Whitmore coming to the plate, Benach’s night was done.
Maika Dumais came on to face Whitmore. She did her job, getting Whitmore to roll over on the first pitch sending a routine ground ball to Kate Blunt at shortstop. Unfortunately, Blunt’s throw to first was low and scooted past defensive replacement Sabrina Robinson and all the way to the dugout. Eyster scored and Whitmore and Gianelloni ended up on second and third.
Leguizamon hit the next pitch from Dumais past a diving Blunt and into left field. Hunters left fielder Lexi Hastings misplayed the ball and let it roll to the wall. Gianelloni and Whitmore scored. Leguizamon tried for third and was easily tagged out to end the inning. But six more runs for the Firebells made the score 11-3.
The Firebells tacked on three more runs in the sixth. Leblanc walked to start the inning, ending her seven game hitting streak but continuing her streak of reaching base safely. Dumais plunked Jorge and gave up Kaplan’s fourth single of the night to load the bases. Dumais then gave up a bases loaded walk to Jua Park, which ended the night for Dumais.
The Hunters brought Blunt on in relief. She struck out Peyton Coria looking and Day-Bedard swinging, but not before a wild pitch allowed Jorge to score. Blunt then walked Gianelloni and Whitmore to bring in Kaplan. Blunt finally struck out Leguizamon, who had the dubious honor of being the final out of each of the last four innings for the Firebells– pop out, strikeout, tagged out at 3B, strikeout. Leguizamon might be forgiven for wanting to set her bat on fire after the game.
The Hunters did push across runs in the sixth and seventh innings against Firebells reliever Peyton Coria, though the outcome of the contest was never in doubt. In the sixth, Hastings singled and stole second. Blunt grounded out to short. Dumais walked and Greenwood was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Bryant’s productive out to short scored Hastings. Haas walked to reload the bases, but Geldenhuis struck out swinging to leave the bases loaded.
Coria stuck out Molly Paddison to start the seventh. Sabrina Robinson grounded sharply to 1B where a normally steady Leblanc kicked the ball, allowing Robinson to reach. Hastings doubled, putting runners at second and third. Blunt fouled out harmlessly to the catcher and it seemed like Coria would get out of trouble.
Suzuka Yamamoto came to the plate after being part of a defensive realignment earlier in the evening. Coria got her to strike out swinging, but the ball got by Jorge and rolled nearly to the backstop before Jorge corralled it. Jorge threw wildly from her knees past a reaching Coria and the ball rolled to 2B as Robinson and Hastings scored. Firebells 2B Gianelloni threw back to Coria at home and Yamamoto tried for second. Coria threw back to Leguizamon covering second and nailed Yamamoto. Just your typical strikeout, 2-4-1-6 put-out to end the game.
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