2026-09-11 – Semifinal Game 2: SF @ BOS

The SF Firebells started the scoring and never gave up the lead as they punched their ticket to the WPBL championship series with a 9-6 win over the Boston Hunters. Three Firebells left the yard as they put an exclamation point on their season long dominance of the Hunters, winning all seven matchups between the two teams.

Starting the game in the “visitors” half, Firebells leadoff Amanda Gianelloni got things going with a single to right off Hunters starter Paloma Benach. Kelsie Whitmore flied out to center, Skylar Kaplan popped up to first base, and it seemed like Gianelloni might die on the basepaths. But two outs seems to flip a switch for the Firebells hitters. Andreanne Leblanc singled up the middle and Alexia Jorge walked to load the bases.

This brought up Joely Leguizamon who has been struggling mightily with runners in scoring position. Leguizamon hit a grounder to deep short on the first pitch she saw and hustled down the line to beat the throw to first base. Gianelloni scored and the bases were still loaded. Benach got Jua Park looking on four pitches to shut down the Firebells’ hopes for a big inning, but the ‘Bells were up 1-0.

Firebells two-way star Jill Albayati returned to the mound after not having pitched in game action since August 15th due to a hamstring injury. Manager Matt Williams kept her out of the lineup, likely to avoid the possibility of re-injury while running the bases. Albayati pitched a quick 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the first with none of the Hunters batters getting a ball out of the infield.

In the top of the second, Rosi Del Castillo grounded out to first and Ayaka Yamamoto lined out to Boston’s Suzuka Yamamoto for the second out and another beat in the “Yamamoto vs Yamamoto” story.

Cue the two-out magic. Amanda Gianelloni roped a double to the wall down the left field line. Despite the hit being a no-doubt double, Gianelloni still slid face-first into second because apparently she just likes getting dirty. As they did last night whenever there were baserunners, the Hunters walked Kelsie Whitmore intentionally. And just like last night, Skylar Kaplan made them regret that choice–this time with three run homer to right center. Andreanne Leblanc flied out to center to end the inning but the Firebells were now up 4-0.

Albayati struck out Denver Bryant to open the home half of the second. Ticara Geldenhuis worked a walk. Beth Greenwood hit a grounder to Joely Leguizamon at short which initially looked like a double play ball. But Leguizamon couldn’t find the handle on the ball as she pulled it out of her glove and her throw to second went wild into right field. Everybody was safe and Geldenhuis ended up on third. Edith De Leija’s single scored Geldenhuis and put runners at first and second with one out. Suzuka Yamamoto grounded to Leguizamon, and this time Leguizamon handled the play herself, stepping on second for the first out and throwing towards Leblanc at first for the second out. Leblanc had to come off first and tag Yamamoto flashing by on the baseline, but the double play got the Firebells out of the inning with only one run scored. 4-1 Firebells.

Alexia Jorge led off the third inning with a no-doubt solo shot that nearly hit the scoreboard beyond the left field wall. Hunters manager Jemile Weeks had seen enough and replaced Benach with Gigi Schiano. Leguizamon worked a walk off Schiano in a ten pitch at-bat. Park grounded to Denver Bryant at 3B. Maybe Bryant was thinking about a double play, but the ball scooted under her glove allowing Park to reach on the error. Del Castillo grounded out to the 2B hole, moving the runners up and Ayaka Yamamoto’s ground out to short scored Leguizamon. Gianelloni flied out to center with the Firebells now up 6-1.

Albayati got into some trouble in the bottom of the third. Raine Padgham walked to start the frame but was erased on a fielder’s choice when Hastings bunted right back to Albayati on the mound. Why are the Hunters bunting with no outs and down by five runs? You’ll have to ask Jemile Weeks about that.

Perhaps to make up for her poor bunting performance, Hastings stole second and then moved to third when Gabbie Haas singled. Alli Schroder hit a sac fly to center to score Hastings. Denver Bryant hit a sinking liner to center that took a funky hop and got past a charging Kelsie Whitmore. This put runners on corners for Geldenhuis who singled in Haas. Beth Greenwood got hit by a pitch to load the bases, ending Jill Albayati’s night. De Leija greeted Firebells’ reliever Niki Eckert with a single to score Bryant. The ninth batter of the inning, Suzuka Yamamoto, struck out swinging, leaving the bases loaded and the Hunters still trailing 6-4.

Leading off the top of the fourth, Kelsie Whitmore finally got a pitch to hit and pulled it over the left field wall for the Firebells’ third homer of the game. Kaplan grounded out, but Leblanc and Jorge both singled. Leguizamon hit a dribbler off the end of her bat which Schiano fielded and tossed to first with the baserunners moving up on the play. Park golfed the first pitch she saw down the third base line for a bases clearing double. Del Castillo hit the ball hard but right at Hunters 1B Alli Schroder to end the inning with the Firebells up 9-4.

In the bottom of the fourth, Padgham struck out looking and Hastings and Haas both flied out to center after extended at-bats. Schiano sent the Firebells down quickly in the fifth despite a walk to Kelsie Whitmore.

The Hunters mounted a threat in the fifth. Schroder singled and stole second, which was mooted when Bryant walked. Geldenhuis hit a sinking liner to right which Skylar Kaplan gloved just above the turf for the first out. Greenwood got plunked again to load the bases. The first pitch to De Leija was a wild pitch that scored Schroder. De Leija ultimately walked to re-load the bases. Yamamoto flicked a ball into short center that Whitmore ran down and fired back into the infield before any of the runners could move. Eckert struck Padgham out swinging leaving the frustrated Hunters with only a single run to show for their efforts and the score at 9-5 Firebells.

Leblanc singled to lead off the sixth. Jorge flied out to left. Leguizamon was robbed when Geldenhuis tracked down her soft liner to short left. The Firebells were robbed when Geldenhuis threw an absolute missile to first to double off Leblanc ending the inning.

The Firebells brought Liz Gilder on in relief to pitch the bottom of the sixth. Hastings led off with a single. Haas grounded to third and Firebells 3B Yamamoto went to first for the out instead of getting the lead runner. That choice would loom large when Schroder blasted a grounder to the 3B hole that eluded Yamamoto and rolled quickly into left field. As Hastings headed for home, Firebells’ left fielder Del Castillo corralled the ball and fired Yamamoto for the relay to catcher Alexia Jorge. Hastings arrived safely well ahead of the throw. But with her team still down by three, Schroder made an ill-advised attempt for second base, and Jorge threw to Gianelloni for the second out of the inning (7-5-2-4, if you’re scoring at home). Yamamoto got into the action for the last out too, as Bryant grounded out to 3B to end the inning with the score at 9-6 Firebells.

Hunters’ reliever Maika Dumais worked around an error and a hit by pitch to keep the Firebells off the board in the seventh. The bottom of the seventh started well for the Hunters with a leadoff single from Geldenhuis. But Greenwood sent another ground ball to Yamamoto at 3B who started an around the horn double play. De Leija decided to try hitting to the right side instead, but her ball died right in front of Firebells’ 2B Amanda Gianelloni who threw to first for the final out of the inning. Firebells win 9-6 and move on to the “best of five” championship series starting Wednesday September 16th.