Los Angeles turned one loud inning into a commanding series edge Thursday, hanging 10 runs in the fourth and beating San Francisco 11-7 in Game 2 of the inaugural Women’s Professional Baseball League championship series at Robin Roberts Field in Springfield, Illinois. The Queens now lead the best-of-five set 2-0 and need one more win to bring the title to Los Angeles.
One swing changed the whole night
- Maggie Foxx put the Queens on the board in the second inning with a solo shot to left field.
- San Francisco answered immediately with two runs in the bottom of the second, then added two more in the third to take an early 4-1 advantage.
- Los Angeles broke the game open in the fourth. Foxx, finishing 3-for-3, drove in a run with a single as the Queens kept sending hitters to the plate.
- Ayuri Shimano supplied the inning’s defining blow, launching a grand slam during a three-hit performance.
- The 10-run outburst carried Los Angeles to an 11-7 final and pushed San Francisco to the brink of elimination.
Shimano’s slam was her second in three games. She also homered with the bases loaded while going 5-for-5 in the deciding third game of the semifinal series against the New York Heights.
“We scored 10 runs in one inning, which was very explosive for our offense,” Queens manager Eric Young said. “We’re one win away from being champions, so I’m really proud about that.”
Firebells had answers at the plate
The Firebells did not lack production from the heart of their lineup. Andreanne Leblanc and Samantha Gutierrez each collected four hits and three RBIs, combining to go 8-for-8 while driving in six of San Francisco’s seven runs.
The game was less clean in the field. San Francisco committed six errors, with two Los Angeles runs going down as unearned. The Queens also made an error.
Foxx said the Queens understand that the work is not finished, even with the series tilted sharply in their favor.
“We’re one game closer to a championship, and that’s what our eyes have been on from Day 1,” Foxx said. “We’ve just got to stay focused for seven more innings of baseball and do the best we can to hopefully bring a title home to L.A.”
San Francisco gets a reset
The Firebells will have Friday off before trying to extend the series. Manager Matt Williams pointed to the regular-season meetings between the clubs as proof that a comeback remains possible.
“Our backs are against the wall,” Williams said. “We’ll have a day off to reset and see what we can do. We know what we have to do — it’s right in front of us. The first game we played against the Queens during the regular season, they beat us. But then we beat them three in a row.”
- Game 3 is scheduled for Saturday at 7 p.m. ET at Robin Roberts Stadium.
- If San Francisco wins, Game 4 would be played Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.
- If the series reaches a deciding game, Game 5 is set for Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET.
Every remaining championship-series game is scheduled for Robin Roberts Stadium and will stream on ESPN+.
