SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS: The rain keeps falling and the thunder keeps rolling – thankfully, the weather gods gave baseball a break at game time in the first of a twin bill.
The Heights couldn’t catch a break of their own – unable to douse the Firebells flame – handing manager Matt Williams’ red hot hitters their fourth straight win.
It’s become a lineup made in WPBL heaven. In back-to-back games, all nine SF starters reached base, and all but one crossed the plate.
With the game knotted at one going into the third, Kelsie Whitmore and the clutch hitting starting pitcher, Jill Albayati, got down to the business of go-ahead runs. Whitmore laced a line drive over third, and her partner in RBI crime, blasted a two run shot over the left field wall – her first big league homer of the season.
In the bottom frame Alyssa Zettlemoyer, who moved from the bottom of the order to the middle, sparked a window of hope with a two out walk. Diana Ibarra and London Studer got the memo delivering back to back singles, and with the bases juiced, Jaida Lee failed to help her cause, fanning on four pitches.
Lee was chased after four and a third, surrendering six runs on 82 pitches. Maybe the 102 she tossed in her last start took a toll.
After the ‘Bells tacked on two more in the top of the fourth, making it a five run lead, compliments of Andréanne Leblanc, Joely Leguizamon and Jua Park, NY captain Denae Benites belted a two-run homer, cutting the lead in half, moving ahead of Kelsie Whitmore for total long balls this season, by one.
In the bottom frame, Whitmore, with two aboard, crushed a three-run blast 345’ to keep the stat chase between her and Benites very much alive. To say she’s “seeing the ball” is like saying the desert is full of sand.
Albayati was masterful on the mound, as well. In four innings she gave up two runs on six hits, fanning five on 71 pitches, earning her a return to Player of the Game. She had close competition with teammate Samantha Gutierrez who was perfect in the nine hole – reaching base on every at bat, 3-3 with three RBI’s.
The nightcap is a rematch of LA and Boston. The Hunters will try to build on their momentum, while the Queens look to avoid a four game skid.