September 3, 2026 | Springfield, IL: To clinch a #2 seed, or not to clinch a #2 seed – that was the question surrounding the Queens heading into Thursday’s game. It’s been come-from-behinds between these two cities all season, so in the rubber match with so much on the line, why would we expect anything dramatically different? Well, there’s a reason they say, “expect the unexpected.”
Jamie Mackay, in her first start for the Queens, doing double duty in the lineup and on the mound, fanned the first two batters she faced – and in the blink of two-and-a-third innings, the Heights put 11 runs on the board.
Her right-handed counterpart, Raykung Kim, gave up six earned runs in three and change, but anytime LA started to chip away, NY came back with a vengeance.
Denae Benites was back to her beginning-of-the-season ways – 4-5 with six RBI’s from a double, a three-run and solo home run, regaining the long ball lead, her 11th, over Kelsie Whitmore, while extending her stolen base count to a baker’s dozen, to boot.
A cavalry of Queens relief pitchers could not contain the Heights from scoring an embarrassment of riches runs – and their season-high six errors didn’t help. You can say in so many ways that NY manager Rocky Henley’s crew were destined to go big or go home when a ball slipped under the glove of an infielder and outfielder on the same play, and a two-strike check swing on the foul line at third resulted in a single.
LA did have some moments to take to the baseball bank. Samaria, the Benitez with a “z,” stretched her hitting streak to eight games. Maggie Foxx got her first league dinger. Addisyn Baird, in her WPBL debut, got her first hit, first walk, scored her first run on Ashton Lansdell’s sac fly, and Caitlin Eynon kept proving that every time she’s at the plate, RBI’s happen.
Back in New York’s camp, what can you say about Claire Eccles? Coming to the bump in the bottom of the fifth, playing with house money after being handed a seven-run lead, the lefty and her nasty knuckleballs struck out six of the nine batters she faced like she’s the second coming of teammate Jaida Lee.
PLAYOFF SEEDING SCENARIOS
SAN FRANCISCO
Has clinched the #1 seed.
LOS ANGELES
LA can clinch the #2 seed if they beat Boston on Saturday and NY loses to San Francisco on Friday.
NEW YORK
NY can clinch the #2 seed if they win their next game OR if LA loses to Boston on Saturday.
BOSTON
Boston will be the #4 seed and play the #1 seed, San Francisco.