Saturday’s WPBL matinee saw the “visiting” SF Firebells burn down the Boston Hunters 12-5 in a game that featured 15 walks, 3 hit by pitch, and 27 stranded base runners between the two teams. Kelsie Whitmore hit another dinger to tie Denae Benites for the league home run lead, and the rest of the Firebells offense continued their infectious hitting. Player of the game was Firebells backup catcher Samantha Gutierrez who started behind the dish, hit her first league home run, and flashed some leather on defense at 3B later in the contest.
Hunters starter Paloma Benach got Amanda Gianelloni to fly out to left on one pitch. Four pitches later, Whitmore deposited Benach’s offering over the right field wall to get the scoring started for the Firebells. Joely Leguizamon drew a walk, and Andreanne Leblanc singled. Having caught Friday night’s game, Alexia Jorge started the game at DH and promptly whacked a single to score Leguizamon. But Benach induced two ground ball outs to end the threat.
Apparently the Firebells didn’t want to let the Hunters get too downhearted. Firebells stater Niki Eckert walked the first two batters on nine pitches. An error by 2B Gianelloni loaded the bases. Ticara Geldenhuis hit into a fielder’s choice to score one. Eckert hit Edith De Leija to load the bases again. Kate Blunt popped out to second. But then Eckert issued a bases loaded walk to tie the game. By the time Maika Dumais flied out to center to end the inning, the Hunters had scored two runs without a single hit.
Guitierrez picked up her battery mate Eckert by hitting a solo home run to lead off the second inning. Ela Day-Bedard grounded out and Gianelloni flied to left again. Unfortunately for the Benach and the Hunters, two out rallies have become something of a set piece for the Firebell’s offense. Whitmore singled, Leguizamon walked, and Leblanc singled to score Whitmore and move Leguizamon to third. Jorge collected another single and another RBI as Leguizamon scored. Skylar Kaplan continued the hit parade to load the bases, and Jua Park hit a two RBI single, scoring Leblanc and Jorge. Gutierrez came to the plate for the second time in the inning and whacked a single to left, scoring Kaplan. Unfortunately for the Firebells, Hunters left fielder Ticara Gildenhuis threw a laser to second, nailing Gutierrez attempting to stretch her single into a double. But the damage was done and the Firebells were up 8-2.
The Hunters went quietly in their half of the second. The middle innings churned on scorelessly with base runners aplenty but neither team coming up with the big hit.
The Hunters finally broke through in the fifth against Firebells reliever Ela Day-Bedard, who had come on to get the last out of the fourth inning. Alexia Jorge was behind the plate for the Firebells, with Gutierrez moving to 3B as part of the defensive realignment during the pitching change. Day-Bedard walked Edith De Leija and Kate Blunt to lead off the inning. With Lexi Hastings at the plate, De Leija took off for third. Jorge uncorked a wild throw to third, which trickled into left field. De Leija scored and Blunt moved to second, scoring when Hastings doubled. Maika Dumais singled to put runners at the corners and Beth Greenwood singled to bring Hastings home.
A big inning looked likely. Denver Bryant who was 2-2 with a walk in her first three plate appearances came to the plate, but Day-Bedard struck her out looking. Raine Pagham lined out to second. A walk to Molly Paddison loaded the bases and ended Day-Bedard’s afternoon. Firebells reliever Liz Gilder matched up with Ticara Gildenhuis, the Hunter’s best hitter. But Gildenhuis popped out in foul territory to end the threat, as Gutierrez continued her “pitcher’s best friend” role for the Firebells ranging far from 3B and making a sparkling catch. The frustrated Hunters were still left with a three run deficit at 8-5.
Unfortunately, Hunter’s reliever Gigi Schiano could not execute a shutdown inning. Jorge flew out to right to start the inning. But then Schiano walked Kaplan, hit Park with a pitch, and walked Gutierrez to load the bases. Liz Gilder popped up on the infield, which of course activated the Firebells two out mojo. Gianelloni who had been scuffling both at the plate and defensively got some sweet redemption with an RBI single that the Hunters misplayed into extra bases. Both Kaplan and Park scored with Gutierrez and Gianelloni ending up in scoring position. A passed ball during Whitmore’s at-bat allowed Gutierrez to score and Whitmore singled in Gianelloni. Leguizamon doubled but Leblanc grounded out to end the inning with the Firebells up 12-5. That score held up as neither team was able to mount a threat with their remaining outs.
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