The NY Heights got on the board in the home half of the first inning but a relentless SF Firebells offense responded with six unanswered runs over the next three innings and never gave up the lead on their way to an 11-6 victory in the matinee game of Saturday’s double-header. The head-to-head matchup of league home run leaders Kelsie Whitmore and Danae Benites did not disappoint, with both players leaving the yard in what is shaping up to be an entertaining home run chase.
NY leadoff hitter Natsuki Yonetani grounded out to begin the first. But Elodie Ciamarro and Danae Benites notched base hits against Firebells starter Jill Albayati. NY 1B Kylee Lahners grounded into what appeared to be an inning-ending double play, but SF 2B Amanda Gianelloni air-mailed the throw to first, allowing Ciamarro to score the first run. Albayati struck out NY 3B Keylee Lahners looking to end the inning.
Joely Leguizamon led off the Firebells second inning by flying out to left. In what was to become a theme for the afternoon, Heights starter Jaida Lee plunked Ela Day-Bedard. Jua Park struck out swinging. SF catcher Samantha Gutierrez fouled off the first pitch and then watched two wild pitches roll to the backstop as Day-Bedard took second and then third. Day-Bedard scored the tying run easily when Gutierrez singled on the next pitch. SF leadoff hitter Amanda Gianelloni flied out to center for the last out.
Albayati got herself in and out of trouble in the NY half of the second. She hit the first batter and gave up a single to London Studer. She struck out opposing pitcher Jaida Lee swinging, but then plunked Keira Izumi to load the bases with only one out. Albayati coaxed Natsuki Yonetani to tap back to the mount and threw home to get the lead runner. Albayati then struck out Elodie Ciamarro looking on four pitches to strand the three baserunners.
Albayati also helped herself at the plate in the third inning. Whitmore singled to start the inning, and Albayati hit a two-run rocket nearly to the scoreboard in left field for her first homerun of the young season. Albayati also leads the team in doubles. When your best starting pitcher also has the second best OPS on the team and hits third in the batting order, it’s going to be problematic for opponents.
Andreanne Leblanc flied out to left for the first out of the inning. But Skylar Kaplan and Joely Leguizamon both singled. Niki Eckert struck out swinging, and Jua Park walked to load the bases. After freezing Gutierrez two pitches on the outside of the plate, Jaida Lee had a breaking ball slip out of her hand and plunked Gutierrez in the back to score the run from third. Gianelloni continued her night of frustration, striking out swinging and leaving the bases loaded.
The Heights loaded the bases again in their half of the third on a two-out walk and back-to-back singles. This brought Heights pitcher Jaida Lee to the plate. Albayati struck her out swinging on four pitches, bringing the Heights total to seven stranded base runners in the first three innings.
Looking for some redemption, Lee struck out Whitmore looking in the top of the fourth, but then threw a scary pitch right into Albayati’s helmet. Albayati was checked out by the trainer and remained in the game as the runner at first. Leblanc hit a moon shot to left center that wedged under the outfield fence for a double. That ended Lee’s night.
Heights reliever Claire O’Sullivan walked Kaplan to load the bases. A single to Leguizamon scored Albayati, but Day-Bedard popped out harmlessley to second, freezing the runners. Jua Park singled to left score Leblanc, but a strong relay resulted in Kaplan being easily tagged out at home by a fired up Denae Benites. Probably a bad call by the third base coach to send Kaplan on a shallow single to left, and certainly a bad call to get Benites pumped up.
Albayati got two quick outs in the Heights half of the fourth. But a walk to pinch hitter Jacqui Raynolds brought up Denae Benites. Albayati simply hung her head as Benites golfed the second pitch over the left center wall for a two-run homer, briefly giving Benitez the league lead in homers. Lahners popped to second to end the inning.
Gutierrez greeted O’Sullivan with a single to start the Firebells fifth. Gianelloni shook off her rough start to single and to bring up Kelsie Whitmore. Not to be outdone by Benites, Whitmore cranked a ball into the parking lot beyond the left field wall for her sixth home run in three games. The ball got out so fast that the outfielders didn’t even have a chance to move.
Albayati singled after Whitmore but was left stranded when the next three batters failed to reach. The Heights went quietly in their half of the fifth against Firebells reliever Niki Eckert.
O’Sullivan got two quick outs in the Firebells sixth, but then let loose a wild breaking pitch at designated pinata Gutierrez. Gutierrez clearly looked disgusted as she took first base on her second hit by pitch of the night. Gianelloni singled to give O’Sullivan the unenviable choice of pitching to Kelsie Whitmore or giving Whitmore the free pass and facing Albayati. Whitmore received the courtesy four-pitch pitch-around to load the bases. The Heights strategy paid off as Albayati grounded to third to end the threat.
The Heights made some noise in their half of the sixth. O’Sullivan lined out to second, but Izumi and Yonetani hit back-to-back doubles, scoring Izumi who had stolen third during Yonetani’s at-bat. Defensive replacement Madison Willan worked a walk to bring up Benites. Eckert kept Benites in the yard, but gave up a single to score Yonetani. Perhaps feeling bad being the only pitcher not to hit a batter on the night, Eckert plunked Lahners on the leg to load the bases.
With Zettlemoyer at the plate, Gutierrez worked out some frustration by throwing behind Benites who was straying too far off second base. Willan headed for home as Benites was caught in the middle. Gutierrez received the ball back from second and ran Willan out of the basepaths for the out. For those scoring at home, that’s your basic 2-4-2 caught stealing, with a disgusted Benites left taking out her frustrations on a helpless third base bag. Zettlemoyer grounded to third to end what could have been a big inning.
In the seventh, the Firebells put up two more runs on another Leblanc ball wedged under the fence and RBI singles from Leguizamon and Gutierrez, who was probably just wanting to get into the clubhouse for some ice. Heights reliever Keira Izumi managed to pitch the inning without hitting a batter, so kudos to her.
O’Sullivan remained in the game after being relieved by Izumi. Her manager’s faith was rewarded when O’Sullivan hit a two-out solo shot to left, her first home run in the league. With the score now 11-6, Izumi flied out to center for the final out. But hopefully the O’Sullivan dinger will give the team some life heading into their Sunday matchup with the Boston Hunters.
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