SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS: Friday night, two of the fiercest city rivals in baseball faced off under the bright Robin Roberts Stadium lights with a pair of the most highly regarded pitchers in women’s baseball on the bump.
The much awaited NoCal/SoCal contest between the LA Queens Amayi Sato and SF captain, Kelsie Whitmore started as what appeared could be a pitcher’s duel, but quickly became a reversal of fortune from their prior performances.
Sato followed up her uncharacteristic Game 1 blowup with a gem of an outing – five innings, one run on four hits, and Whitmore, who silenced the Hunters in three innings of play, couldn’t prevent the only undefeated team in the league from producing seven runs by the end of her short stay.
LA’s potent lineup was reminiscent of the cast of The Usual Suspects. Ashton Lansdell, Maggie Foxx, Michelle Roche, were a combined 6-10. Thaima Maximiliana 3-4, and Jamie Mackay, who crouched behind the plate, got a taste of celebratory Queens gold after firing two-run shots over the centerfield and left centerfield fence.
There were many moments of textbook defense. Jordan Eyster’s rocket to Gianelloni to tag Foxx at second, trying to stretch a single into an extra base hit, two double plays to end two innings, and a lot of digging out of the dirt to nab runners at first.
Other notables were Amanda Gianelloni getting San Francisco’s first home run of the season, allowing the team to test out their home run celebration bells, and Whitmore recorded her first long awaited hit.
Meggie Meidlinger, The Queens veteran pitcher, closed out the show for her second successful relief appearance, and tomorrow we’re back at it again, for two, in the first of three doubleheader Saturdays.