SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS: Now that all four teams have gotten a taste of competing professionally, it’s too early to say, “the plot thickens,” but the story is certainly starting to simmer.
Tonight was the first Teacher & Educator Appreciation Night of the season, presented by Horace Mann and the WPBL to honor educators for all they’ve done and presently do. All educators who presented valid school ID received two complimentary tickets to tonight’s game – a promotion which will continue every Wednesday throughout the regular season.
LA Queens Michelle Roche made her debut, and it was a beauty. Five innings of three-hit ball, with one strikeout, nary a free pass, on 51 pitches. We could all smell a complete game, but sometimes managers don’t always do what the fans want – that’s why we call the shots from our couches at home.
Boston suffered another brutal eight run loss – this time from a Los Angeles team that looks like Dave Robert’s Dodgers. The Queens scored in every inning but one, stealing a bevy of bases – something sure to make their skipper, Eric Young, Sr. proud.
Ashton Lansdell was player of the game, but you could argue that Roche and Sarah Edwards were deserving. Lansdell, who wasn’t much of a factor in game one, at least offensively, made up for that in spades tonight. She was 3-4, with a pair of RBI’s, three runs scored and two stolen bases.
Sarah Edwards hit the first grand slam in WPBL history, and it’s only the third game! Brittany Apgar, the speedy, scrappy, right fielder went 2-4, legging out an infield single, then came very close to doing it again.
The Hunters continued to display some strong defense – Raine Padgham showed her range at short with a big league basket catch near the third baseline, Denver Bryant circled a foul ball until it landed in her glove as she fell onto the field, and Kate Blunt executed a backhand shorthop to get the runner at first.
Boston Manager Keith Foulke will certainly be hard at work preparing the Hunters for Saturday’s game, when the team will seek out its first victory of the season against the New York Heights.