September 14, 2026 | Springfield, IL: The intercity feud between these East Coast and West cities began in 1958 when the New York Dodgers moved to LA. How fitting that 68 years later this historical friendly feud has found a home in the Women’s Pro Baseball League, culminating in a winner-take-all rubber match. If drama is your cup of tea, well, this game was a full kettle.
Two righty’s kicked off the night. Rakyung Kim was handed the reins for NY, and it was rinse and repeat of Game 1 for LA’s Michelle Roche.
Team captains Ashton Lansdell and Denae Benites put their ballclubs on the board with three and two run dingers in the first.
Claire O’Sullivan relieved Kim and quieted the Queens in the second. In the top of the third, LA DH Caitlin Eynon quickly changed that with a solo no doubter over the centerfield fence. Isabella Villareal then laced an RBI double, and two batters later, Ayuri Shimano reeled in four more with the first postseason grand slam in the WPBL. Claire Eccles maintained the seven-run cushion with a spectacular catch to keep Jamie MacKay’s deep drive inside the park.
NY chipped away for three runs in the bottom frame from an infield single, a wild throw and an unfortunate injury to LA’s Samaria Benitez, who was carted off the field after attempting a play in shallow right.
Benites lined a lead off base hit in the bottom half of the fourth and scored on Claire O’Sullivan’s opposite field double to left, cutting the Height’s deficit, 9-6.
LA fattened the lead by five in the top of the fifth when Maggie Foxx got a free pass on four pitches, Shimano singled, Lansdell’s RBI double – her fourth driven in run of the night, and Mackay’s sac fly to center.
And NY proved the point that feeling safe with a five-run lead is anything but – scoring five runs in the bottom frame on a walk, a double, a HBP and Kylee Lahners game tying three-run homer.
In the bottom of the sixth, Queens manager Eric Young made a pivotal call to the bullpen, summoning struggling starter Amayi Sato to be the closer, and the veteran retired the side in order with a clutch catch, a K and a groundout to second.
Heights skipper Rocky Henley, hampered by the absence of the injured Jaida Lee, countered with Claire Eccles in LA’s last at-bats, and the Queens patience at the plate reaped dividends. They scored four unearned runs from four walks, two HBP’s, Shimano’s base hit, ending her day 5-5, a triple shy of the cycle, and Sato’s, helping her own cause, sac fly.
Sato returned for the final frame, retiring three of the four batters she faced – including a swinging strikeout of Benites. It was the ultimate redemption song, punching her team’s ticket to the Championship Round against the San Francisco Firebells.